


Floor Nein

by Awesome_Sauce432



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Angst, Everyone Lives In The Same Apartment Building Yay, Everyone is also DIRT POOR, Everyone's Excellent Self-Esteem, F/F, Fake Dating For A Bit, Fancy Party Infiltration, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, How To Accidentally On Purpose Join A Crime Gang, Hurt/Comfort, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Oblivious To Lovers, Only One Bed, Roadtrip, Slow Build, Slow Burn, group chats
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2020-04-05
Packaged: 2020-04-07 18:56:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 44
Words: 140,467
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19091086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Awesome_Sauce432/pseuds/Awesome_Sauce432
Summary: Beau's been on the streets for six years and has been an army of one her whole life, and she totally doesn't care if it stays that way for the rest of her life.Jester's been on the streets for a few months and has always known there are people who love her, and she'd very much like to not be on the streets any more thanks.Fjord's been on the streets, off the streets and now he's back on them again with magic powers he doesn't understand and he's hoping to find a way to get them under control.Somehow all three of them find their way to Zadash, to the top floor of an apartment building filled with people with possibly even more illegal or storied pasts than them. Somehow they actually manage to afford it for longer than a week. Somehow it ends up being even better than they thought it would be.





	1. Beau 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Well Hello There Folks Welcome To This I Hope You Enjoy

A late autumn breeze was blowing when Beau arrived in Trostenwald, climbing off the bus alongside a few other people, all of whom quickly strode off with at least a knowledge of where they were going if not a clear purpose.

 

Beau, however, stood by the bus stop for a moment, automatically looking over her shoulder and scanning around the town. Trostenwald was a fairly medium-sized town, small enough that it could still be comfortably called a town, but big enough that she would be able to stay for a while without drawing too much attention to herself. Most of the houses were small, one-storied homes with tiled roofs that looked like most of them hadn’t been renovated for a decade at least, and only a few people roamed the streets at this late afternoon hour.

 

The air smelled of flowers, with a faint scent of warm meat and alcohol to the right. Pulling her well-worn cotton-lined jacket tight across her chest, Beau followed the smell of food, hoping for some kind of fast food or equally cheap means of feeding herself.

 

She kicked a pebble as she walked, sticking her hands in her pockets and keeping an eye on her surroundings. No one else who was wandering around was paying her any mind, which was what she wanted. All she needed was to stay a few days, pick enough pockets to grab enough spare change for food and another bus ticket, and she’d be on her way.

 

To where? She wasn’t exactly sure. But as long as she kept moving, she’d be able to stay free for long enough to figure it out. Out of the Empire, probably. She’d always heard the Menagerie Coast was nice during winter. Warmer than the Empire at least.

 

Rounding a corner, she tilted her head at the sight of what must’ve counted for a main street in Trostenwald, a small collection of shops and restaurants. Most of them seemed local and not at all chain businesses, which usually meant higher prices. Then she spied a small fast food restaurant, with a neon sign and bright posters declaring the kinds of meals you could get for the low price of three silver. Luckily for her, three silver was about her budget for the night.

 

She glanced inside all of the other shops as she passed, peering at other customers and pausing to look at menus plastered to doors, to no end except to remind herself what she couldn’t afford. She passed by some kind of pub, hearing the clink of glasses and laughter from inside. Now that looked promising.

 

Still, better to get some food into her first. So she bypassed the pub and went into the fast food restaurant, letting the bored teenager that was manning the till wait there for a few moments while she looked at the menu and acted like she actually had the money to weigh up her options before settling on the cheapest meal deal they had anyway.

 

Settling down in a seat close to the exit, Beau took out her phone while she ate, plugging her phone charger into a nearby powerpoint. It had enough charge that it wasn’t going to die on her at any moment, but it was always better to get it as full as possible while she had the chance.

 

She ate slowly, vaguely paying attention to the newscast that was playing on a tv nearby and otherwise tossing up the best places to sleep. The houses here were closely pressed together but Beau didn’t fancy her chances at ducking into the gaps between them, and the only proper alleyways were between some of the shops and restaurants on this street, which would likely be one of the busier ones. If she didn’t want to get caught, camping just outside the town would probably be her best bet.

 

Which would be a pain, but less of a pain than dealing with the police would be. Police asked far too many questions.

 

After finishing her burger and pitifully soggy chips, Beau took her sweet time sipping on her drink, flicking open her phone. Her old phone case had quite literally fallen apart two months ago, and the screen had a spiderweb of cracks originating from the bottom left corner, where tiny little flakes of glass had fallen off.

 

But the phone still worked and it had all her music on it, and Beau knew that if she got a new one she’d probably only be able to afford a shitty flip phone, so she made do. There was a scant amount of pre-paid credit left on it, to be used strictly for emergencies, but she preferred to stick to using the shoddy wifi from places like this.

 

Once she was finished she ducked into the small bathroom the fast food place had to offer, washing her face and quickly undoing her hair and combing it through with her fingers before tying it back up into a loose bun. The less homeless she looked when walking into a pub, the better. There was only so much she could do about her backpack, since there was no way in hell she was putting it down somewhere, but cleaning herself up was better than nothing.

 

By the time she got back outside the sun was well on its way to setting, one of the moons already high up in the sky, the other soon to follow. Beau considered pulling up her hood but decided against it considering she was going to go inside again as soon as she crossed the street, so instead she just dug her hands into her pockets again, letting the cooler evening wind prick at the back of her neck.

 

As she crossed the street, the door to the pub opened, momentarily letting the sounds of cheering and music that was ever so slightly out of tune drift into the street until it closed again. Two men, both human and both unsteady on their feet, had exited with such scowls on their faces that Beau couldn’t imagine they’d left of their own volition.

 

One of them, the taller of the two with a thick jacket, noticed her looking them over. His eyes hardened and Beau rolled her eyes, realising what would happen next before it happened. She quickly changed course so that she wasn’t heading straight towards the pub anymore but rather further down the street.

 

“Oi! What do you think yer lookin at?” The slurred voice called out and Beau turned on her heel, keeping her hands in her pockets and continuing to step backwards.

 

“Just the pub behind you.” She kept her voice easy, sizing the two of them up. Drunk as they were, it wouldn’t be too difficult of a fight. But street brawls, as fun as they could be, weren’t exactly the best way to stay under the radar.

 

“Aw yea? Are you sure about that?” The taller man stepped forwards and Beau set her jaw. Okay, it wouldn’t be under the radar, but at least she wasn’t the one who started it.

 

“Pretty damn sure.” She said. “I don’t have time to be worried about people like you.”

 

The taller man scoffed, still stumbling up to her while his shorter friend followed behind, not looking so eager for a fight but too loyal to leave his friend behind. “That’s a mistake.”

 

“Not looking like one to me.” Beau smirked, removing her hands from her pockets.

 

The taller man scowled and jumped forward to try and grab her wrist, but Beau just quickly side-stepped, clenching her hands into fists and smirking.

 

“Dude, let’s just go.” The smaller man was either not as drunk as his friend or perceptive enough regardless to realise that their chances were not strong, but the taller man evidently had a chip on his shoulder and a convenient target to take it out on.

 

“Nah, she thinks I’m dumb? Do you think I’m an idiot?” The taller man kept advancing, and Beau took the same number of steps back, raising her hands in a readied stance.

 

“Hey, you said it, not me.” She said lightly, the man’s face darkened.

 

His first punch was clumsy and his second even clumsier, and it was pathetic how easy it was to dodge. Beau quickly glanced to the side, seeing a few people in the window of the fast food place who might be witnesses if they weren’t too busy looking down at something else, before looking back at the man and jabbing him in the stomach.

 

“Hey!” The smaller man seemed to lose the grip on what few braincells he had been holding onto, rushing up next to his friend ready to defend him. He was only slightly more accurate than his friend but just as unsuccessful.

 

But focusing on dodging the smaller man had drawn her attention for a few moments, just long enough for the taller one to recover and apparently decide this was the hill he wanted to die on. Beau caught of a flash of silver in the corner of her eye and jerked backwards not quite quickly enough to avoid the slice of a knife across her stomach.

 

“Oh fuck-!” She automatically kicked out at the man to try and stop him from taking a second swing, grimacing at the sting of the wound.

 

The knife-wielder leered. “Not so smug now, are ya?”

 

“Hey!” A deeper, drawling voice called out from the door of the pub, and all three of them momentarily paused, probably all instinctively worrying that the police were there.

 

But it wasn’t a policeman, or at least not one in uniform. There was a half-orc, with green skin speckled with a lighter shade around the bottom half of his face, and dark, closely-cut hair with small streaks of white along the sides. He was wearing jeans and a rough, worn leather jacket, with a thick scarf hanging loosely over his shoulders. “What’s goin on?”

 

“None of your fuckin business.” The smaller man spat, while Beau took the opportunity to shuffle back a few paces, covering her stomach with an arm. It hurt, but she refused to let that pain show on her face.

 

“Are you sure? Cause to me it looks like you’re assaultin someone.” He crackled his knuckles and the two men glanced between each other, reweighing their odds of a two on two fight and coming up with the obvious answer.

 

“Aw, fuck you…” The taller man scowled dejectedly but quickly scurried off, his friend following.

 

“I was fine.” Beau snarked before the half-orc could say anything else. The half-orc stared at her for a moment, his eyes pointedly shifting down to where she was pressing her hand over her wound. It wasn’t gushing blood, but it wasn’t a paper cut either.

 

Another person came around from behind the half-orc, a woman. She was a tiefling, and seeing a tiefling or a half-orc in a town like Trostenwald might be an unusual occurrence, but seeing both together was definitely strange. Her skin was a light blue and her hair a darker navy, flowing around her face in a slightly choppy bob with a little bun at the back. Her horns curled around her skull like a ram’s, and she was wearing a pink and purple striped dress with dark leggings and short ankle-length boots. She wasn’t wearing any kind of jumper or scarf at all, and the sleeves of her dress poofed around her shoulders, showing off her arms that were surprisingly muscular for a girl who otherwise looked quite feminine. She was kind of cute.

 

“You know you’re bleeding right?” She had an accent, entirely different to that of the half-orc, and it made her sound almost like she was always asking a question, but wasn’t entirely serious about it.

 

“Yeah, I’m aware.” Beau leaned against the closest wall. “You can go back inside or whatever. Thanks, I guess.”

 

The tiefling did _not_ go back inside, instead walking up to Beau, waving loosely. “I’m Jester. Are you okay?”

 

Beau couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, as the half-orc let the pub door close behind him, walking up to her as well but stopping a few feet away from her. “I’m fine. I can handle it.”

 

“I don’t think there’s a hospital in this town.” The tiefling mused, biting her lip and looking over her shoulder at the half-orc.

 

“It doesn’t need a hospital.” Beau’s arm tightened over the injury, and she looked over her shoulder. The sooner she got out of town to somewhere she could patch this up herself, the better. “Look, I’ve got to go.”

 

“No, wait!” Jester reached out and snagged her other arm. Beau wrenched it out of her grip without a second thought, shoulders tensing. Behind the tiefling, the half-orc’s eyes widened and he took a step forward.

 

“Jester, don’t push it.”

 

Jester pouted, folding up her arms. “Fine. If she doesn’t want my help.”

 

“I don’t know what help you can offer that I can’t just do myself.” Beau turned around, only allow herself to wince from the pain once she was no longer facing them.

 

“You’ll never find out if you don’t let me.” Beau paused, her curiosity going wild. She glanced over her shoulder, seeing Jester smiling mischievously, holding her hands together like she was praying and tapping her fingers against each other. The half-orc was rolling his eyes, looking a mix of exasperated and slightly concerned.

 

Beau looked down at her stomach before turning around to face Jester properly. Damnit, she _had_ to find out now. “What did you have in mind?”

 

“Oh, you know…” Jester stopped tapping her fingers, her smile widening, voice dropping to a whisper. “Maaaagic.”

 

The half-orc noticeably sighed. “Jester you cannot tell everyone about that.”

 

Okay, now Beau was really interested. “Magic? You registered for that kind of thing?”

 

“Maaaaybe.” So that was a no.

 

Beau peered past the tiefling, up at the half-orc. She didn’t trust either of these people to say the least, but Jester didn’t give her much of an impression of a master manipulator. This half-orc on the other hand, he seemed a bit smoother with his words, or at least more aware of unwise things to say to strangers on the street. “You with her, I’m assuming?”

 

“I am.” The half-orc folded his arms.

 

“Can you vouch for this magic?” She tilted her head, the corner of her mouth quirking upwards.

 

“I can.” His eyes flitted away for a moment, and Jester took a tiny step forward, holding her hands up expectantly.

 

Beau quickly weighed her options. She could just leave and be done with it, but then she’d still have to deal with her injury. Or she could find out if this Jester girl really did have magic, potentially get that injury healed up, and then be on her way. Or it could all be a ploy to trick her into getting too close and then they’ll rob her.

 

She stands there for a second deliberating the chances of getting healed versus getting humiliatingly robbed and eventually decides that if Jester tries anything she’d punch her in the face.

 

“Alright then.” She said, carefully peeling her arm away from her stomach, scowling at the stains on her shirt. She really liked that shirt.

 

Jester pursed her lips, stepping forward and quickly pressing a hand over the injury. Her hand was cold to the touch but soon began to warm, sending a tingling sensation running up Beau’s spine, her palm lightly glowing a soft blue-green. Beau hadn’t felt healing magic in a long time, but she recognised the sensation, feeling the dull pain ebb away.

 

When Jester pulled her hand away half of it is covered in Beau’s blood, but she looked pleased with herself regardless. Beau carefully prodded at her stomach, feeling right as rain.

 

“Huh.” She looked back at the tiefling, half-expecting her to tack on some kind of condition or payment for the healing.

 

“Uh, we’d obviously appreciate it if you don’t tell anyone about that.” The half-orc leaned forward to speak, his gaze flittering around nervously every now and then.

 

Beau nodded slowly, feeling more and more curious about these two with each passing second. “No problem. Where do you two come from anyway? Cause you sure don’t look like you come from here.”

 

Jester was smiling again, carefully holding her blood-stained hand so as not to brush it against her clothes but otherwise seeming relaxed. “I’m from Nicodranas. It’s a very great city, you know.”

 

“Port Damali for me.” The half-orc said easily, slipping his hands into his pockets. “What about you? You don’t strike me as a local either.”

 

“Oh? How can you tell?” Beau tilted her head.

 

“Your backpack, for one. Not a lot of locals wander around with packs that have sleeping bags attached to them.” The half-orc said, a small smile on his face that spoke to knowledge about what he was talking about. Personal experience, perhaps.

 

“Touché,” Beau smirked. “How’d you get to here from the Menagerie Coast?”

 

“It’s a long story.” The half-orc sighed.

 

Jester raised an eyebrow, jumping in before her friend could say anything else. “Hold on, you didn’t tell us where you’re from!”

 

“No I didn’t,” Beau said, waiting a few seconds before she decided that Jester wasn’t going to let it go. “Kamordah.”

 

“Cool. I don’t know where that is.” Jester spoke frankly, and Beau couldn’t help but snicker at her honesty. It was nice, in a way.

 

The half-orc cleared his throat, catching their attention. “In any case, this is a wonderful conversation, but I don’t think standing here bloodstained in the streets is a very good idea.”

 

Jester glanced down at her bloody hand. “You might be right there, Fjord.” She stuck her bottom lip out, looking thoughtful for a moment before looking back up at Beau. “Where are you staying tonight? Maybe we could stay at the same place!”

 

“Staying?” Beau blinked. “I… I’m not staying anywhere.”

 

Jester blinked. “But where will you sleep?”

 

Beau glanced at the half-orc, whose name was apparently Fjord. He cringed a little as Jester asked the question, and yeah, he’d definitely been on the streets for at least a while. Long enough to be able to recognise someone else in the same predicament.

 

“I’m camping.”

 

“By yourself? That doesn’t seem very safe.” Jester’s frowning a little now.

 

“I can take care of myself,” Beau said, ignoring the way both Fjord and Jester’s eyes subtly or not so subtly slid down to the bloodstain on her shirt, which now had a gaping hole in it. She stubbornly refused to retract her statement.

 

“We were thinking of heading to the motel in town. If you’ve got any money to pitch in maybe we could get a bigger room and we’ll all be comfortable.” Fjord’s accent was smooth and had that drawling quality that made it sound like everything he said was far more reasonable than it perhaps actually was. Beau had been by herself for far too long to recognise that offer as anything other than either charity or a trap.

 

But a bed, or even just a room to sleep in as opposed to a bus seat, alleyway or tree, was tempting.

 

Jester must’ve seen her hesitate, her eyes lighting up. “Yes! That’s a great idea! That will be so much better than camping!”

 

“I don’t have much money,” Beau warned. “Or like… any money.”

 

That was half a lie. She had a small amount of money, but it was not money that she could afford to spend on motel rooms.

 

Jester seemed unconcerned. “That’s okay, you can still stay with us. I’ll feel so bad if you’re just like, out here alone and you get all hurt again because you’re out camping by yourself.”

 

Beau bristled at the continued implications that she couldn’t handle herself — the knife wound was a _fluke,_ damnit — but found her resolve to stay a loner for the night weakening by the second. A bed sounded really nice, to be honest. Not to mention a shower, blankets, a door you could lock.

 

Besides, she thought to herself, if it was a trap then she knew it was coming, so it wasn’t really a trap anymore. If it was genuine charity, then that meant she got a free night in a motel.

 

“Alright, fine.” She couldn’t help but smile a little at Jester’s satisfaction with her answer. “I’ll come with you, I guess.”

 

Fjord seemed a little more wary, but that was fine. If both of them were as eager to offer help and assistance as Jester was, she would be a lot more suspicious. Still, he’d been ready to step in had her altercation with the two men turned into a real fight, so perhaps he was genuine as well.

 

The three of them began walking down the path. Jester settled herself right next to Beau, not touching her but beaming and in general seeming a little smug, Fjord following a few paces behind.

 

“Well this is all fine and dandy, but I don’t think we’ve actually caught your name.” Fjord said, eliciting a gasp from Jester, who must’ve only just realised that fact.

 

“It’s Beau. Short for Beauregard.” She tossed a glance over her shoulder, and Fjord nodded in acknowledgment. Jester began to chatter away about the motel they were heading towards, how she hoped it would have extra pillows because she liked extra pillows. Fjord piped up every now and then to express his desire for the couch that he would inevitably end up sleeping on to not have lumpy cushions for once.

 

Hmm, Beau thought to herself, listening to their chatter as they walked. A part of her really, really hoped this wasn’t a trap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whats up  
> It's me  
> Ya BOI 
> 
> So I've been working on this for... a while. It probably would've been started sooner but I accidentally started playing minecraft again and lost a week and a half of my life to it. BUT HERE WE GO BABEY
> 
> So just to be clear:  
> \- Molly exists in this fic. He just isn't a major character. You'll find out where he is soon enough. SO don't worry, he's alive, but he isnt' appearing anytime soon.  
> \- There won't be any ships besides the ones stated in the tags. I don't want to surprise you in terms of ships yall know whats coming the fun is how we get there  
> \- Beau and Jester and to a lesser extent Fjord are the major characters here. The others are all around and will contribute but if you're looking for some deep Caleb storyline or something you probably won't find it here lmao 
> 
> Anyway HERE WE GO Beau Jester and Fjord friendship is my most favourite thing yeet  
> Almost as much as Beau Jester and Yasha friendship  
> And Beau and Caleb friendship  
> And All of the friendships basically
> 
> Also this'll be a weekly update thing so see ya next Wednesday


	2. Beau 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau arrives in Trostenwald and promptly gets into trouble with some drunkards outside a bar, receiving assistance from a strange half-orc and tiefling, who introduce themselves as Fjord and Jester. Jester reveals that she has magic, something that is strictly regulated in the Empire, healing a wound Beau received. After discovering that Beau didn't have anywhere to stay, they suggest she accompanies them to a motel for the night, which Beau, although wary, agrees to.

As it turned out, Jester was the richest among the three of them. Not rich enough to afford a nicer motel, but rich enough, or perhaps just naive enough, to splurge a few extra gold notes to get a room with two beds rather than just one. Fjord offered to throw in some money of his own, while Beau stayed far away from the front desk and hoped the motel owner wouldn’t notice how the bottom half of her shirt was bloody.

 

The room they ended up getting was still quite cramped, the two beds pushed up against the back of one wall with hardly any room between them. From a glance Beau could tell the mattress would be springy and lumpy, the pillows stiff and uncomfortable, but it sure would be better than the ground.

 

She dropped her backpack on the bed closest to the door, not caring if Fjord or Jester saw anything suspicious in the choice because she absolutely was still suspicious. If she let her guard down every time someone was reasonably nice to her, she’d only get burned. Sure, it had been a long time since someone had been this nice to her without asking for something in return yet, but that just made her warier.

 

Besides the two beds, there was a short couch that Fjord would be hard pressed to sleep on without half his limbs hanging off the ends or the side, and a small bathroom with a very odd smell to it. The room as a whole was musty and the walls had mysterious stains on them, but it was a room. It had a roof, it had walls, it had beds.

 

Jester breezed into the bathroom barely a minute after they got settled, winking at them both and complaining about how annoying it was to wash dry blood off her hands. The sound of running water echoed through the walls, and Beau sat on the end of her bed, slipping off her shoes for the first time in a while.

 

She could feel Fjord glancing at her every now and then, and she wondered if he was as wary of her as she was of him. But he didn’t say anything, making a show of lying down on the couch and stretching out, like he hadn’t had the chance to rest in far too long.

 

He didn’t start a conversation, and Beau certainly wasn’t going to start a conversation, so by the time Jester finished in the bathroom, dressed in silk pyjamas that weren’t at all practical and far too nice to have been cheap, Beau was almost vibrating with uneasy, pent up energy that had nowhere to go.

 

She picked up her entire backpack to take it into the bathroom, not daring to leave any of her things out in the room where one of the others could steal it and leave her while she was unaware. It made the tiny bathroom feel even tinier, but she could tolerate that. The bathroom door had a lock, which took thirty seconds of jiggling before it actually _locked_ , but it did it in the end.

 

Shrugging her jacket off and laying it over the toilet before lifting her backpack on top of it, Beau pulled off her shirt, standing in her sports bra and sweatpants while examining her fallen shirt.

 

Yeah, it was fucked. Completely stained, and ripped badly enough that it would be a pain to fix. She could probably _try_ to find a laundromat and wash the blood out, but it would probably be cheaper to just find a thrift store and pick up an entirely new shirt.

 

Scowling, Beau balled up the shirt and dropped it on the ground, taking off the rest of her clothes and gingerly stepping into the shower. The water was cold, but it cleared her head. She scraped away the dried blood on her stomach, trying to find a raised line or a scar to show where the wound had been. But there was nothing but a faint line, and Beau hummed to herself, pleasantly surprised. At least that was one thing she wouldn’t have to deal with.

 

Having access to healing magic all the time would certainly save her a lot of time and pain. Especially when Jester seemed happy to dole it out without asking for much in the way of compensation (yet).

 

Perhaps she would stick around these two for a while. She’d have to find some way to be useful or else her pride would never let her forget it and they wouldn’t let her hang around, but she’d be a fool not to take advantage if these two didn’t have ulterior motives. She’d just have to find out what exactly they were planning to do next.

 

After finishing her shower she fished around in her backpack for another set of sweatpants and a crop top, tying up her hair before packing up her dirty clothes — tucking her ruined shirt into a plastic bag to be dealt with later — and leaving the bathroom.

 

Jester was lying on her stomach on her bed, frowning down at a phone with a sparkly pink case adorned with lollipops. She adjusted her position every few seconds, stretching her phone up and around in every direction possible. Fjord had been lying on the couch with his hands behind his head, eyes closed before Beau left the bathroom, upon which he stood up, going into the bathroom himself.

 

“This wifi is impossible!” Jester rolled onto her back, throwing her hands up into the air. “It hardly works!”

 

She sighed, her voice dropping into a more pouting tone. “And data is so expensive.”

 

Beau found the tiefling more and more intriguing with each passing second. Her silk pyjamas were, now that she was looking closely, definitely good proper silk. The kind of stuff her parents would ground her for getting so much of a speck of dust on. Yet not only was this girl wearing it in the first place (and it fit properly, which meant she probably hadn’t had a very lucky find in a thrift shop or otherwise gotten it second hand) but she was rolling around on her bed in it, with none of the typical hoity toity fussiness that she would expect from someone who could afford to buy clothes like that.

 

Not to mention that she was complaining about how expensive data was, and was hanging around with Fjord, who didn’t have any of the signs of someone who had ever had more than fifty gold at one time at any point in his life. Jester was an enigma, and a rather pretty one at that.

 

Beau sat down on her bed, putting her backpack on the ground at the end of the bed, and glancing at Jester out of the corner of her eye. The tiefling sighed dramatically, giving up on finding a bar of wifi and letting her arms flop onto the bed, her head tilting over before she saw Beau, her face lighting up.

 

“Oh! How’s your stomach? All healed up?” She asked hopefully, pulling herself up into a sitting position.

 

Beau tapped her abs, leaning against the wall. “Sure is. My shirt is totally wrecked though.”

 

“I could fix that too if you like,” Jester said offhandedly, but there was a glimmer of excitement in her eyes. Beau got the sense that she just liked to show off. “With _magic_.”

 

“You have a lot of magic?” All of Beau’s questions jumped to the forefront of her mind, even as she leaned over to dig through her backpack and find her shirt again, tossing it to Jester.

 

“Mostly little things. Little healing and mending tears and things.” Jester shook out the shirt, frowning lightly at the tear before pulling it together with her hands, focusing on the fabric and talking at the same time. “I’m very talented, you know.”

 

“I can see that.” Beau tilted her head. “How’d you get your magic?”

 

“I was taught by a friend.” Jester smiled, looking up as she finished whatever magic she was doing, holding the shirt up to reveal it well and whole again. Still bloodstained, though. “He’s even more talented than me, he’s called the Traveller.”

 

Huh. Odd name. “He an unregistered caster too?”

 

Jester pursed her lips together, seeming to think hard for a moment. “He’s a god actually. A very good one.”

 

Beau blinked. Okay. That sounded very fake, but okay. “Right… An unregistered caster, an unapproved god. You know how illegal that is in the Empire, right?”

 

“Yeaaaaah.” Jester drew out the word, her nose crinkling. “The Empire’s really stupid.”

 

“It is.” Beau nodded, a smirk playing at her lips. “Good thing I don’t particularly care about dealing with the police or I might report you.”

 

“If you reported me that would be a super dick move since I like, healed you up and everything.”

 

“I might be a super dick, you don’t know me.”

 

“Well, you said you don’t care about the police so you’re obviously not a super dick.” Jester stuck her tongue out at her.

 

“And you’re obviously very trusting.” Beau decided she liked Jester. “What are you even doing in the Empire anyway, if you know that your magic is illegal?”

 

“Oh, I’m following Fjord. He’s going to Zadash.”

 

“Why?”

 

“To try and get into the Soltryce Academy. It’s a lot closer than the one in Rexxuntrum.” Jester shrugged like this wasn’t at all a big deal.

 

“The magic academy? What, does Fjord have illegal magic too?” Beau rolled her eyes, and Jester just smiled. “Wow.”

 

“Yeah, but he doesn’t know where his came from so he thinks they can help him.” Jester laid back on her bed, fiddling with the strap of her silk camisole.

 

“But I thought he said he came from Port Damali, and you came from Nicodranas. When did you meet?” The more Beau heard about these two, the more fascinated she became. And Zadash… it probably wasn’t such a bad place to be. Big cities could be easy to blend into the crowd in.

 

“Oh, like a month ago.” Jester chuckled, and Beau’s eyebrows climbed higher on her forehead. “I got like, kicked out of Nicodranas sooooo~”

 

“You _what_?” Beau found herself leaning forward. Okay, this was unexpected. “What did you do?”

 

“Okay, I wasn’t like, officially kicked out, but _basically_ I totally pranked this stuffy politician into going out on a balcony with his pants down and like fifty million people got a picture of it so he got _really mad_ and we’re pretty sure he put a hit out on me.” Jester shrugged, shifting between looking sheepish and excited to tell the story. “So my Mama decided it was probably best for me to leave the city. Just in case.”

 

“That’s hardcore. I mean, I’ve got a rap sheet, but only for regular criminal shit.” Beau snorted, trying to imagine some dumb politician literally getting caught with his pants down. Now that she thought about it, she remembered catching a glimpse of something like that on the news a while ago… “I wish I could do something fun enough to get a hit put out on me.”

 

“Hey, it’s like we’re all criminals! Me and Fjord have spooky illegal magic, you’ve done… whatever you’ve done…”

 

“Robbery, assault, blackmail, fraud-” Beau began listing off her crimes, both surprised at herself for letting the info go and wanting to keep going if only to encourage more stories from Jester. What an interesting life she seemed to lead.

 

“All of those things!” Jester continued, pointing at Beau and beaming. “We should totally stick together.”

 

At the mention of sticking together, Beau’s eyes widened, and her wariness leaped back to the front of her mind in full force. “Together? What do you mean?”

 

“Well, you know. Like friends. Me and Fjord don’t know anyone from the Empire, at least I know _I_ don’t, and I don’t think Fjord does, but now we know you and you’re also a criminal so wouldn’t it be fun if we all hung out together?” Jester looked hopeful, but Beau was still waiting for some kind of catch.

 

“Did you give this speech to Fjord too? Safety in numbers or something?” She raised an eyebrow, leaning back against the wall and folding her arms, not really trying to hide the suspicion in her voice.

 

“Kinda. I just didn’t want to be alone, and Fjord was so nice when I met him.” Jester deflated a little and Beau’s fingers twitched, feeling a twinge of… something in her heart. Guilt? She had nothing to feel guilty about. Empathy? She was fine on her own.

 

She’d been on her own basically her entire life, and she could continue being on her own.

 

At that moment, the door to the bathroom opened and Fjord stepped out, in thick sweatpants and a slightly different hoodie to the one he had on.

 

“Jeez, the water in that shower is cold.” He muttered, before looking at the two of them. “I don’t know how you two stand the temperature.”

 

“It’s only autumn.” Beau said, at the same time as Jester cheerfully piped up with, “I never get cold!”

 

“Whatever.” Fjord rolled his eyes, dropping his dirty clothes and toiletries in a small pile on the ground before flopping onto his couch. “So do you want to come with us?”

 

“You heard what we were talking about?” Beau narrowed her eyes, and Fjord quickly held up his hands in surrender.

 

“Thin walls. Very thin.” He said, and now Beau glared at the walls, wary that someone on the other side might’ve been able to hear them talking.

 

“Right.” She murmured. “And I suppose you’re just fine and dandy with me just waltzing along with you?”

 

Fjord held up a hand and shook it from side to side. “Eh. You haven’t tried to rob us yet so I’d say that’s a good sign. If you continue to not rob us, I don’t see why not.”

 

Beau narrowed her eyes. This has to be some kind of elaborate prank, right? For a few moments, none of them said anything, and Beau shifted uncomfortably on the bed, her eyes glancing towards the door. She could leave right now and that would be it. She was fine on her own.

 

“How about let’s just go with not robbing each other for now.” She finally said. “I’ll… think about it.”

 

Neither Fjord nor Jester raced to rescind the offer or otherwise sweep the rug from underneath her. Instead, Fjord stood up and turned off the light.

 

“Goodnight Fjord! And Beau!”

 

“Night y’all.” Fjord said. “Don’t rob us.”

 

“I’ll do my best.” Beau snickered, pausing before continuing. “Goodnight, I guess.”

 

She climbed under the sheets, which were thin and scratchy.Rolling over to face the wall, she listened to Jester shuffle around behind her. Going to Zadash with Jester and Fjord. Perhaps that wouldn’t be so bad. Having a couple people to watch her back for a while would be nice too.

 

She couldn’t remember the last time she’d had someone to watch her back. Certainly no one in Kamordah, and certainly no one at the Institute. Perhaps this could be a change. It would probably only last for a little while before it inevitably got ruined, but it would be nice while it lasted.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya yeet it's me  
> 11pm Tuesday is close enough to Wednesday right 
> 
> Anyway Welcome Back Have Some Backstory, don't rob people
> 
> also i literally just discovered the justify button in the post chapter box and skdjfhgskjdhfgsjkdfg
> 
> Also here's a review of this story from my father: "Why did you stab Beau you can't just stab the hero in the first chapter what are you doing"  
> thanks dad


	3. Beau 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Having accompanied Jester and Fjord to the motel, Beau debates sticking around with them for a while longer, observing and asking them questions to try and learn more about them. She finds out that Jester's magic comes from a being named the Traveller, which she isn't sure whether she believes or not, but is definitely very illegal. She also finds out that Jester was basically forced to leave Nicodranas for her own safety. She also finds out that Fjord has strange magic, which is probably also illegal, and they are heading to Zadash to help Fjord figure out his magic. Jester and Fjord officially invite her to stay with them for a while longer, and Beau tells them that she wants to think about it.

When Beau woke up that morning she was pleased to find that none of them had robbed the others and left during the night. Jester was still fast asleep, tangled up in her blankets and snoring softly when Beau woke up, her hair a blue halo around her head.

 

Fjord, on the other hand, was just exiting the bathroom, the noise of the door opening having been what jerked Beau from sleep. He stretched his arms over his head as he walked back into the room, already changed into some jeans and a long-sleeved thick shirt. Beau caught his eye, and he smiled easily, nothing too warm or friendly, but a simple hello.

 

“Mornin,” He drawled. “Was the bed any more comfortable than this couch was?”

 

“Better than the ground,” Beau said, slipping out from underneath the sheets and standing up. “You’d know how that feels, right?”

 

Fjord raised an eyebrow at the question, scratching the back of his neck. Fuck, she might as well have gone out and said ‘so you totally know what it’s like to be homeless, right?’ and it might’ve been more tactful.

 

She bit the inside of her cheek but didn’t retract her question. Fjord didn’t answer for a few moments, his gaze drifting away from Beau.

 

“Yeah. I do.” He sighed. “I suppose I’ve technically been homeless for… a while now.”

 

“How long?”

 

“Eh, going on maybe two months now. Before then I _had_ somewhere to live, for a good seven years, and before that, I was out in the streets since I was fifteen.” He chuckled, and Beau was itching to ask what could’ve happened to lose the place he’d used to live, but even she was aware enough to recognise that that may not be the best question to ask. Especially when Fjord and Jester were currently her tickets to a roof over her head. “What about you?”

 

“About six years,” Beau said. “Haven’t really had anywhere I’ve stayed longer than a few months during that.”

 

Fjord nodded slowly, not seeming inclined to ask any more detailed questions, and for that she was grateful. She’d been half-tempted to throw out a fake number for the amount of time she’d been homeless (not that she’d ever counted the Institute as a home), but had settled on the actual number anyway. Still, she knew how easy it was to twist information to manipulate and hurt, so she wasn’t about to give anyone any more ammunition than she had to.

 

“So what are you thinking about coming with us?” Fjord continued, nodding at a still-asleep Jester, as if to include her in the conversation. “We were hoping to find an apartment once we got to Zadash. Jester’s got enough money to hopefully be enough for a down payment on one, even though it’ll probably be pretty shitty.”

 

Beau hesitated, reflexively folding her arms as if to put a little bit more space between her and Fjord. Okay, going to Zadash with them and mooching off their motel room was one thing, but an apartment? That was bordering very close to _roommate_ territory, and that meant attachments and Beau did not have a good track record with attachments.

 

“You two are awfully quick to offer a ticket into sharing an apartment with you.” She knew her voice was edged with suspicion, but she didn’t care. “I don’t get it.”

 

“Fair enough. I’ll be honest with you, I think Jester is seriously just that nice. I’m pretty sure getting kicked out of Nicodranas was the first time she’d ever left the place.” Fjord dropped his voice a little, and Beau glanced towards Jester. Yeah, that’d make sense. “As for me… Well, I had someone take a chance on me, and it worked out.”

 

“I’m not some charity project.” Beau snapped, inwardly cringing a little at how sharp her words had been.

 

“Obviously not.” Fjord frowned. “But think of it this way. You need someplace to stay-”

 

“Who’s to say I do? Maybe I like being on the streets.” Beau said, narrowing her eyes and daring him to contradict her. Fjord just squinted at her for a moment, before continuing like she hadn’t interrupted just to be contrary.

 

“You need a place to stay, and winter’s coming up soon. Jester and I need an apartment, and maybe someone else to help pay its rent. Perhaps someone who already knows how the Empire works in more detail than we do.” Fjord sat down on the couch, leaning backward. “Think of it as a, you help us, we help you kind of deal if that makes you more comfortable.”

 

Aha. There it was. There was the fine print to this deal. Perhaps Jester wasn’t thinking about it, but Fjord could see the advantages to them having her around. Oddly enough though, Fjord admitting it actually made her feel a little more… open to it. At least with all the cards on the table, Beau knew what she was getting into.

 

Besides, Fjord was right. Winter sucked ass on the streets. She could handle the cold a little better than most, but once it started snowing, she’d just be miserable.

 

“Hmm. Alright then.” Beau said. “I’ll go with you. But if you try to pull some shit, I’ll beat your ass.”

 

“I’d say the same for you.” Fjord said, and that was another thing that made Beau feel a bit more comfortable. If both she and Fjord agreed not to fuck each other over, then perhaps they could work together. “Jester can throw a pretty mean punch if she’s trying.”

 

“I’d like to see that,” Beau said. Between her silk pyjamas and the pretty dress she’d been wearing the previous night, she hadn’t imagined that Jester would be the fighter of the pair. Then again, Jester’s arms were quite toned, easily drawing Beau’s eyes. Perhaps it wasn’t so unimaginable.

 

At that moment Jester snorted in her sleep, before rolling over, rustling and finally groaning loudly. Beau glanced at Fjord to see him appearing entirely nonplussed, so she figured this was normal for Jester when waking up.

 

“Ugggghhh I hate _evveerryytthinggg_.” She moaned, pulling the blankets over her face.

 

“Morning, Jester,” Beau said, smiling a little at the display.

 

“Mmph.” Came the response from underneath the covers. Beau glanced over at Fjord with one eyebrow raised, and he just rolled his eyes and shrugged his shoulders loosely.

 

He cleared his throat, looking at Beau for a moment as if to catch her attention to what he was going to do next. “Hey Jester, Beau said she decided to come with us.”

 

The change was immediate, with only a beat of silence before Jester sprang up into a sitting position, looking over at Beau with a wide smile. “Really? That’s so great!”

 

“Hey, don’t read into it too deeply.” Beau held up her hands, a bit stunned by the sudden shift. “I’ll help you guys if you help me.”

 

Jester nodded along, clapping her hands together. “This is perfect! We’re like a team now, you know?”

 

“A team?”

 

“Yeah! There’s me and Fjord, the super cute tiefling and handsome half-orc from the Menagerie Coast, out exploring the world, and our really cool friend Beau from the Empire who helps us find all the cool places to go and stops us from getting totally scammed.”

 

“Friend?” Beau wasn’t sure why her brain caught on that word, but it did.

 

“Yeah?” Jester paused, looking at Beau with a bit of hesitation. “Aren’t we friends now?”

 

Beau blinked. She looked towards Fjord, who just sat there with an expression of ‘you’re on your own’ plain on his face. Then she looked back to Jester, who looked very hopeful. Beau didn’t really think that agreeing to travel together and not fuck each other over counted as friendship. But she also didn’t really want to make Jester upset.

 

“I… guess we are?” She almost couldn’t believe she was saying it, but she was. Jester’s face immediately lit up, and Fjord smirked.

 

Oh gods, what was she getting herself into.

 

“How long will it take to get to Zadash? We’ve got to be close now, right?” Jester pulled up her backpack, a bright pink backpack that Beau would’ve initially pegged as belonging to a middle-school student, and began rummaging through it, before pulling out a map.

 

Fjord stood up and walked over to Jester’s bed to take a look at the map, and Beau leaned forwards from where she was standing. Jester quickly found Trostenwald, placing one finger over it while placing another over Zadash, squinting at the distance between them.

 

“It’s only about 130 miles. That’s what, an hour and a half?” Fjord scratched his head.

 

“Maybe a bit quicker if we go by the Amber Highway,” Beau said, pointing down at the yellow road on the map that connected Zadash to Trostenwald, with a few stops along the way. “But we’d need to catch a bus, so they’ll have stops along the way, so it’ll probably be longer.”

 

“Still, if we leave now, we might get there before noon! That’ll be plenty of time to find an apartment!” Jester folded up the map with a flourish.

 

“I think you’re overestimating how easy it is to find an apartment,” Beau said.

 

“Yeah, we might have to stay in a motel for another night or two.” Fjord frowned, before looking at Jester. “How much money do you have left?”

 

Jester pulled out a small purse, and from it pulled out a small stack of gold notes, before dumping out a small assortment of silver and copper coins as well. Beau couldn’t stop her eyes from widening. It was by no means a fortune, but it was certainly more money than Beau had seen in a while.

 

“Ummm… Like, two hundred and fifty-three. Plus sixteen coppers.” Jester said, scowling. “I thought I still had more.”

 

“ _More?”_ Beau couldn’t hide the shock in her voice. It had been far too long since she’d had lots of money at once. Fjord shot her a sympathetic look.

 

“This is still plenty. Here, if we leave apart the two hundred we can make sure to save that for the apartment.” Fjord separated most of the stack of gold notes from the coins.

 

“Bus tickets should only cost a few silver each.” Beau piped up, and Fjord dutifully separated another pile of about ten silver coins.

 

“See, plenty left over. We’ve got this.” Fjord said. Jester still seemed disappointed at the amount of money they had, while Beau was feeling more and more confident in her decision to stick with these two than ever.

 

“Did you bring all this money with you from Nicodranas?” She asked as Jester put all her money back in her purse.

 

“Yeah, my Mama gave me a bag before I left.” Her face brightened up for a moment. “Oh! She told me to set up a bank account as soon as I found somewhere to live so that she could send me more if I needed it.”

 

“Oh, that is going to be _very_ helpful.” Fjord breathed a sigh of relief. “Alright, so as soon as we get to Zadash, we can try and find an apartment, then head to a bank if we have time. You have an account, Beau?”

 

“None Iwas ever allowed access to.” Beau shot him a smile, feeling quite happy now that she knew Jester’s mother was apparently loaded _and_ willing to send money to her.

 

“Alright then.” Fjord had a thoughtful look on his face like he was doing some mental calculations. “In any case, I think we should be fine until we get to Zadash and get an apartment. Even if it takes us a while to find jobs, Jester’s mother should hopefully be able to lend us enough money to hold out until we do.”

 

With that plan in place, both Jester and Fjord nodded before bustling about the motel room, Jester whisking into the bathroom for a shower and to get changed, while Fjord packed up all his clothes. Beau snapped herself into action to do the same, feeling slightly off-kilter.

 

Get a job. Huh. She supposed she’d have to if she was going to contribute to rent of this apartment that she had now agreed to stay in with them. She’d never really had a job, or at least anything more than a quick contract in a town that she didn’t plan on staying in for longer than a month.

 

All of them were quick to pack up once they got going, leaving the motel room in a relatively tidied up state, returning the room keys and picking up a bus schedule before leaving. When it came to breakfast they simply went back to the fast food place Beau had gotten dinner at the previous night. Jester offered to buy for everyone and Beau usually would’ve said no, but her broke ass and the knowledge that Jester had some extra to splurge convinced her to agree.

 

She still refused to get anything more expensive than ten silver pieces, because spending anymore would’ve just felt wasteful. She did allow herself to get coffee for the first time in far too long, enjoying every sip even if it was the kind of quality you’d expect from a fast food place.

 

The day was colder than yesterday, and Beau inwardly sighed at how cold she probably would’ve been if she’d slept outside the previous night as she’d originally planned. Fjord was rugged up with a thick jumper over his shirt and a scarf wrapped around his neck, grumbling when Jester — who was once again wearing a short-sleeved dress, this one a soft yellow with a belt around the waist — teased him about feeling the cold so much. Beau herself wore her sweatpants again with one of her other shirts and her jacket, and a beanie over her head.

 

The three of them walked around until they found the bus stops, trying to decipher the schedules and comparing it to the one they’d picked up from the motel. As it turned out, there was more than one in Trostenwald, which then resulted in all of them racing halfway across the town to get to the correct one just before the bus they wanted to catch left.

 

But they got there in time, Jester picking a window seat near the middle of the bus and immediately stretching out, trying to fiddle with the seat to see if it would recline (it wouldn’t). Fjord took a couple of seats directly behind Jester, and Beau settled in on the other side of the aisle, stuffing her backpack against the window to give her something to lean on.

 

The bus was fairly empty, all the other passengers sitting by themselves or in pairs, scattered throughout the bus. Beau pulled out her phone, fully charged from the overnight stay in the motel, and earphones, putting on the music she had downloaded through an only vaguely legal app.

 

It was only an hours trip to Alfield, where the three of them climbed off the bus and promptly tried to find the correct bus stop for the next bus they wanted to catch, once again managing to misinterpret the directions three times before a local saw their confusion and took pity on them, directing them to the right place.

 

The next bus they got on was more crowded, and Fjord ended up taking a seat next to Jester, while Beau sat opposite them again with her bag on the seat, glaring at anyone who so much as looked like they might ask to sit next to her.

 

When the bus finally got moving again, Beau pulled her legs up onto her seat, leaning onto her backpack and staring out the window. Every now and then she’d glance across the aisle to where Jester and Fjord were sitting, chatting animatedly to one another, Jester pointing out the window every now and then when they passed something interesting.

 

Each time, Beau almost expected them to be gone the next time she looked, for all of this to be a strange, surreal dream. But they were still there every time, and whenever Jester caught her glancing her way, she’d smile and wave a little.

 

Beau felt her heart swell each time, finding it impossible to remember the last time someone had smiled at her as much as Jester already had, and Fjord as well. Not only that, but to smile genuinely. Not with an edge of forced politeness, or thinly veiled smugness. It was like Jester and Fjord really did think they were friends now. Even though Beau had agreed, she still couldn’t quite believe it, and a small voice insisted that it wouldn’t last.

 

The highway they travelled on soon got busier, the countryside around them shifting into rows of houses and buildings, the telltale signs of them approaching the second biggest city in the Empire. Beau had been to Zadash quite a few times in her youth and had considered coming back, if only because it was relatively easy for one homeless girl to blend in a big city. Big cities usually meant bigger dangers, so she’d avoided it up until now. But if Jester and Fjord were here, perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad.

 

When the bus pulled in to the station Jester jumped up in her seat, practically vibrating to get off after spending nearly an hour and a half stuck in one seat. It took some time for them to get off, but once they did Beau breathed in the fresh city air, scented with a hundred different smells at once.

 

The bus station was still in the outer parts of Zadash, but tall stone and steel buildings loomed above them, many adorned with signs or billboards advertising the companies or businesses that owned them. Different stores lined the streets and vendors were calling out to advertise their wares, while dozens of people walked about, heading this way or that.

 

For a few moments, the three of them just stepped away from the station, looking around and taking in the air. In the distance, even taller buildings loomed in Central Zadash, but that area would likely be far too expensive for their budget. Even excluding that, however, Zadash was massive.

 

It was filled with people, and buildings, and opportunities. Filled with promise, perhaps. Beau found herself feeling a bit excited about it, glancing over at Jester and Fjord. Huh. It had been a while since she’d had something to be excited about.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> finalllyyyyyy we're in Zadash!!!!! Now for Super Fun Things like  
> \- Finding Apartments!  
> \- Meeting Neighbours!  
> \- Not Getting Arrested!  
> \- Getting Jobs!  
> Surely everything will go totally smoothly


	4. Beau 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Waking up in the motel, Beau and Fjord swap stories about how long they've each been homeless, and Beau asks why Fjord and Jester were so quick to offer a place with them to Beau. She doesn't quite trust his answer but decides the benefits of not being out on the streets during winter is worth the risk, agreeing to go with them. Jester is delighted and the three of them make their way to Zadash as quickly as they can. 
> 
> Just a quick warning for y'all, there's some light Fantasy-Brand Racism in this chapter (discrimination, nothing explicit and not for very long), just in case that makes you uncomfortable.

A few things become clear to the three of them very quickly.

 

Firstly, Zadash was fucking huge. Like, ridiculously massive. They managed to find a store with free wifi and looked up a map of the city, and even after ten minutes of squinting and looking at it they had no idea where they even were.

 

Secondly, once they _did_ vaguely figure out where they were, finding an apartment was a lot harder than it looked. Listings were plastered on random sites all over the internet, and the vast majority were far, far out of their price range to begin with. The few that weren’t were either obvious scams or so shitty that they couldn’t satisfy even their very low standards.

 

Thirdly, after somehow managing to make a shortlist of five or so potential apartments that wouldn’t end in them dying from either murder or a hundred different diseases at once, those apartments were practically on entirely different sides of the city, and to _get_ to each of those, they had to use the subway system. Which meant trying to figure out the subway system.

 

Thirty minutes and two missed stops later, they found themselves in front of Mellow Rose Apartments. As they stood on the sidewalk surveying it, they saw a window shutter fall off its hinges, smashing onto the ground. A few moments later, there was a muffled crashing sound from an entirely different apartment.

 

They promptly turned around and headed back to the subway.

 

Forty minutes and another missed stop later they were at Triple Point Apartments. It looked more promising than the last place at least, until the owner jacked up his prices, citing an extra fee for ‘undesirables’ like Jester and Fjord to make up for the trouble they’d probably bring.

 

One fistfight later — which they _won,_ thank you very much — they were back on the subway.

 

“You know Beau, I thought you weren’t actually good at fighting after you got stabbed yesterday, but you’re pretty good.” Jester murmured, as the trio walked along the sidewalk again to potential apartment building number three. It was well into the afternoon at this point, and their other options were far enough away that if this one didn’t work out, they’d have to go looking for a motel or something.

 

“Thanks.” Beau rubbed her shoulder where the complex owner had managed to hit her. “The guy from yesterday having a knife surprised me, is all.”

 

“Hopefully he’s too embarrassed to call the police.” Fjord looked over his shoulder as they walked as if the police might pounce on them at any moment.

 

“He will be. What, was I supposed to not do anything?” Beau raised an eyebrow at him, and Fjord quickly shook his head.

 

“Oh, I was cheering you on. I’d just rather not get involved with law enforcement if I don’t have to. Cause of the whole…” He gestured vaguely at himself, and next to him Jester tilted her head, frowning a little.

 

“Ah. Right.” Beau faced straight again, folding her arms tight across her chest and pretending she was colder than she actually was to justify it. “Yeah, fair enough.” She mumbled, scuffing her boots on the pavement.

 

“Even if he did, the police would have to _find_ us,” Jester said, her accent making it sound like she put emphasis on odd syllables in her sentences, in a rather endearing kind of way. Somehow it managed to make her sound both sarcastic and genuine at the same time, however contradictory that sounded. Like she wasn’t taking anything too seriously, but just as seriously as it needed to be taken. Beau wished she could get her words to come across as cleanly. People usually said she always sounded mad or snarky when she spoke. Which was often what she was trying to go for, but still.

 

“That’s true.” Fjord looked up at the buildings they passed, reading signs and mumbling the names to himself, before raising his voice. “Leaky Tap, there it is.”

 

As a group the three of them stopped, looking to where Fjord pointed a finger to an apartment building. It wasn’t particularly tall, topping off at about nine floors, and was made out of cracked cobblestone with wooden trims that looked like they hadn’t been inspected by any competent building inspector in a few decades. There were small balconies, some with towels or blankets draped over the sides of railings, others with half-dead potted plants struggling to find a little sun.

 

Atop the front door was a faded wooden sign with a picture of a faucet with a drop of water dripping from it, the words ‘Leaky Tap Apartments’ emblazoned in big print letters. On the left side of the building was a rickety-looking fire escape that climbed all the way up to the roof, and Beau could see a few healthier looking plants sitting on top of them, bright green leaves and dots of coloured flowers making the whole place seem just a little more inviting.

 

They paused for a few moments and didn’t hear any mysterious screaming or other strange sounds, before glancing at once another.

 

“This looks promising,” Jester said hopefully, putting away her phone and striding towards the door.

 

When they walked inside they found themselves in a relatively clean lobby and found a door helpfully labelled with the owner’s name for them to knock on. Said owner’s eyebrows shot up at the sight of a human, half-orc, and tiefling but they said nothing, which Beau counted as an improvement on the last guy.

 

Upon explaining that they were here to see about renting their open apartment, the owner became far more agreeable, beckoning them to follow her to where it was.

 

“Sorry, the lift’s out of order.” Claudia, the owner said, pointing towards a closed lift door with caution tape plastered over it.

 

“How long has it been out of order?” Beau asked.

 

“Oh, you know… a year or so. Fixing it is just so expensive, you know?”

 

“Ah.” Beau shot a glance at Fjord and Jester, who just shrugged. Still, if they let a broken lift be a dealbreaker, they’d never find an apartment. At least walking up stairs would be exercise. “What floor is the apartment on?”

 

“The top one.”

 

“Hmm.” Beau silently thanked herself for staying fit. Nine flights of stairs shouldn’t be too much of a problem.

 

“Does that mean we have a nice view?” Jester asked hopefully, as they began walking up the stairs. Claudia shot her a sympathetic smile.

 

“If you like looking at the restaurants across the street, yes?” She was clearly trying to sound upbeat, but she was honest. “Now, it’s a bit of a fixer-upper, and it’s been a while since I’ve been able to rent it. But there’s a fair amount of furniture still in there from the last renters.”

 

“What kinds of furniture?” Fjord asked.

 

“Well, mostly all the things I couldn’t manage to get out of the room myself to sell,” Claudia said. “A couch, a bed… oh, there’s a nice wooden table!”

 

“What happened to the last renters?” Beau asked. Claudia laughed a little nervously.

 

“Ooooh, they turned out to be part of some gang. I only found out once the police came knocking on the door with a warrant to discover they’d vanished in the middle of the night. A rather strange business, that was.” She said.

 

“What, did they kill people or something?” Beau asked. She wouldn’t deny it, it would be pretty cool if someone had died in their possible future apartment. Super creepy and morbid, but kinda cool.

 

“I don’t think so. I think they were talking about… overthrowing the government.” She dropped her voice a little to say that last bit, before raising it again just a little too loudly to be natural. “Terrible business, it was! Absolutely terrible!”

 

Well, that wasn’t shady at all.

 

“That sounds absolutely horrendous.” Fjord said as they passed the fourth or so floor. As they talked Beau tried to get as much of a look at the rest of the building as possible. She didn’t see any other residents, but every now and then she could hear muffled sounds, conversations or music.

 

It sounded normal. Seemed normal, except for the apparent previous gang activity. When they got to the top floor Claudia paused to catch her breath, and Beau looked around the floor with a critical eye.

 

The hallway was devoid of people, stretching out in front of her to the end of the building. There were two doors on either side of the hallway, each with a different letter on it from A to D. She took a few steps into the hallway and turned around to look behind her, seeing a small phrase spray-painted onto the wall above the stairwell.

 

“Floor… Nein?” She frowned, trying to make sense of it.

 

Claudia chuckled, as Jester and Fjord walked in next to her to look at it as well, the three of them just narrowly managing to stand side by side in the hallway. “Yes, that’s a typo. I’m pretty sure the person I hired to paint that lied about his spelling ability. Either that, or he thought it was a funny joke.”

 

“At least it still sounds the same if you say it aloud.” Fjord stroked his chin.

 

“Which apartment is ours?” Jester asked, turning back around to face the apartments.

 

Claudia perked up at that, politely excusing herself and squeezing past them. “Oh, Apartment C here is the empty one, it’s just the second one on the right.”

 

She walked up to the door appropriately labelled with a ‘C’, which had a slightly suspicious stain on the lower left corner and some strange scratches and marks on it but otherwise seemed like a normal door. Claudia pulled out a key and unlocked the apartment, swinging the door open. “Here we go.”

 

Beau walked in first, her arms folded as she stepped inside. The first thing she noticed was the musty smell, like the entire apartment had remained undisturbed for a very long period of time. The layer of dust that she seemed to kick up just by stepping inside there confirmed the theory.

 

“Sorry if it’s a bit dirty,” Claudia said. “I’ve so much to do, I haven’t had much time to clean it.”

 

“Eh, dust is an easy fix.” Beau muttered, striding out of the very small entrance area into what was probably the living room. After a few seconds, she amended the assessment to the living room slash kitchen.

 

The living room slash kitchen was probably a little over ninety square meters in total, with hardwood floors throughout that continued down to a small hallway, through which Beau could see two doors at the end.

 

The kitchenette ran along the left side of the apartment after walking in, with benches lining the wall and a fridge that looked like it might’ve been bought before Beau had hit double digits in age. She walked up and opened it, finding it turned off with absolutely nothing inside. There was an oven that was equally switched off but otherwise seemed mostly functional, and while water didn’t come out of the taps when she turned them on, Claudia was quick to explain that if they rented the apartment, she’d turn on all the power and utilities for them immediately.

 

The living room part of that room was slightly bigger than the kitchenette. There was a faded leather couch pushed up against one wall beneath a window, which Fjord immediately laid down, testing out different positions and seeming mostly satisfied. There was also a wooden table in the centre of the room, placed there seemingly because there wasn’t much else for it to go. On the right of the window, close to the wall that connected to the hallway outside the apartment was a screen door that led out to the small balcony.

 

The rest of the floor was clear minus the dust that covered absolutely everything, and a few small stacks of rubbish in the corner. The walls were empty and painted a bland off white colour, the paint cracked and peeling in places and obviously painted over in others. There were small dents or holes in the wall dotted sporadically around.

 

Jester flitted around the apartment for a few moments before pressing her face against the window, climbing up onto the arms of the couch and looking out, loudly detailing all the storefronts she could see and people on the street that looked interesting. She then noticed the doorway to the balcony and immediately darted off to check that out, Fjord climbing up off the couch to join her and possibly make sure she didn’t fall off from leaning over the potentially unstable railing to see things better.

 

A small smile playing on her lips, Beau slipped her backpack off her pack and let it rest on the wooden table, going down the short hallway. The first door on the left led to a very small bathroom that smelt of stale and almost a little coppery, like water that had been left out to sit for far, far too long. There was a shower that lacked a curtain and definitely needed cleaning. The basin was a little better but still not quite pleasant, and there was no mirror or anything for her to look in, much less toiletries or anything else.

 

It seemed Claudia, or someone else really had removed almost anything they could fit through the door in a hurry. It was almost impressive.

 

The other door led to the bedroom, which was entirely empty but for a metal bed frame and plain mattress on top. It was lumpy, but perhaps a marginal improvement on the bed from the motel, so Beau called that a win. There was a rectangular window on the far side of the room that faced east, and a built-in closet on the north side of the room that was entirely empty.

 

Beau walked back into the main room just as Jester and Fjord returned from the balcony, heading down the hallway to take a look at it themselves. Claudia remained in the doorway, smiling hopefully at her.

 

“Well? What do you think?” Claudia asked when Jester and Fjord returned.

 

“I think we’d like to discuss it if we could. We want to make sure all three of us are happy.” Fjord said, and Claudia quickly nodded, stepping out of the apartment.

 

“So? What _do_ we think?” Fjord asked as soon as Claudia was gone, lowering his voice a little just in case.

 

“It’s not a total dumpster, so I’m happy.” Beau folded her arms, looking up and around.

 

“There’s a lot of stuff it doesn’t have though,” Jester said. “Like a microwave. Or food.”

 

“If there was food still in here, I’d be concerned.” Beau crinkled her nose. “It would _stink_.”

 

The corner of Jester’s mouth curled up a little, and she took a look around the apartment again, shifting from the ball to the heels of her feet. “It is pretty cozy, isn’t it?”

 

“Cozy is certainly a word for it.” Fjord nodded. “But it’s within our budget, and Claudia seems alright.”

 

“I’m like, seventy percent certain she was totally involved in that gang she mentioned earlier or at least _knew_ about it before the police showed up,” Beau whispered. “Woman looks like she could hide secrets.”

 

“Sometimes that can be a good thing.” Fjord shrugged lightly, and Beau couldn’t disagree there. “Does anyone have any objections?”

 

Jester shook her head, her smile growing a little when neither Fjord nor Beau offered up anything to object to. After a few moments of silence, Fjord cleared his throat, a relieved smile on his own face.

 

“I guess we’re agreed then. Since I’m the only one without a criminal record, we should probably put my name on the lease for now, is that alright?”

 

“Go right ahead.” Beau snickered, as the trio picked up their backpacks and walked back outside to see Claudia and tell them they’d take it.

 

It didn’t seem to take them very long to go through the paperwork, mostly because Fjord, as the one putting his name on the agreements, was the only one who really had to do it, while Beau got to stand around with Jester rifling through magazines and making a list of various things they’d need to get for their apartment at some point, keeping the lists on their phones. It was a very long list.

 

By the time they were all finished up, it was early dusk, the sky beginning to show hints of pinks and purples as they trekked back up to their new apartment, Claudia handing over two keys for the apartment, wincing and saying that a third copy would involve an extra payment. She had to pay the bills somehow, Beau supposed.

 

“Well, she said our power should be up in only a couple minutes, but the water and everything else might take a little bit longer to sort out.” Fjord sighed, leaning against the wooden table, shedding his scarf but looking quite pleased with himself.

 

“We did it! We’ve got our own apartment all to ourselves!” Jester twirled around the table, before slapping her hands down on it, making them both start. “We should celebrate!”

 

“Celebrate?” Beau perked up. “What do you have in mind?”

 

“We should go out and buy dinner! There’s no food in here anyway.” Jester ran over to where she’d dumped her backpack on the kitchen bench, digging through it before pulling out a light orange cardigan and slipping it on. “Come on! We can explore the city!”

 

“That actually sounds pretty fun,” Beau said, and Fjord was already picking his scarf back up. Beau distantly realised that for once she could leave her backpack behind, safely behind locked doors. Well, relatively safely.

 

She decided she’d take her backpack with her anyway, just in case. She might leave her sleeping bag and some of her clothes.

 

“Yeah, that’s a good idea. Hopefully, we won’t get lost again.” He snickered, and Jester cheered, immediately beginning to rush the two of them to hurry up and get ready to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> please caleb show up so we can get someone in the gang with a sense of direction  
> anyway Apartment Acquired
> 
> ALSO  
> BEAUJESTER WEEK BABY  
> HAPPENING IN THE LAST WEEK OF JULY AND YOU KNOW YA GIRL IS PARTICIPATING  
> i literally already have two days out of the seven completed its gonna be so good im so excited


	5. Fjord 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau, Jester and Fjord are now in Zadash but are faced with their first big problem, finding an apartment. After checking out and eliminating a few possibilities, they arrive at the Leaky Tap Apartment. The landlord, Claudia, shows them to one of the apartments on the ninth floor of the building, which is a bit dirty, very bare, but cheap. Once all the paperwork is sorted out, they decide to celebrate by heading out for dinner.

Fjord had grown up in Port Damali, a massive city in its own right. He was comfortable with the cramped buildings, the constant buzz of people and machines around, the smells that shifted with every storefront they passed.

 

Zadash seemed so much more… almost mechanical. All harsh edges and rough wood, metal and stone. Nothing seemed quite uniform, and there was something to trip over at almost every step. Or perhaps that was just the district they’d managed to find themselves in. Fjord had a feeling that if they somehow made their way to the richer part of town, they’d undoubtedly find themselves in much nicer and cleaner streets.

 

But they were far from rich, so instead Fjord walked along the streets with Beau and Jester on either side of him, keeping his gaze down so as not to trip over an uneven cobblestone, glancing up every few seconds to keep an eye out for somewhere to find dinner.

 

Jester was holding onto his arm, chattering away and pointing out every place that so much had a picture of food up in its window, suggesting it as an option before immediately deciding against it and looking for something else.

 

She was a chatterbox, but over the few weeks that he’d known her, she’d grown on him a lot. Some might call her slightly obnoxious, but he found it endearing. She was kind and bright and optimistic, and Fjord could always use a little more optimism in his life.

 

Beau was a bit quieter on his other side, and he still wasn’t quite sure what to think of her. She was nowhere near as open as Jester was, but that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. Given what he’d been able to glean about her situation from context clues and the little she had told them, it made sense. Not to mention she’d had ample opportunities to rob and ditch them and she hadn’t, so Fjord was fairly confident she wouldn’t do so anytime soon. He still kept an eye on her, guessing that Jester probably wasn’t doing the same.

 

“Oh, look! Look! That one says ‘genuine Coastian food’! That must mean from the Menagerie Coast, right?” Jester pointed frantically at a restaurant across the street. “I’d like to go there!”

 

“Is Coastian even the right word?” Beau glanced at Jester and Fjord, one eyebrow raised and her hands stuck in the pocket of her jacket.

 

“Not in the slightest.” Fjord said. “Think it’ll actually be genuine?”

 

“Well, no harm in trying, right?” Jester folded her arms and looked at the prospective restaurant a little more critically. “If it’s all from Port Zoon or something I’m gonna be upset.”

 

Fjord smiled, shooting a quick glance at Beau to see if she had any objections. When she didn’t, they crossed the road to get to the restaurant. It turned out to be a fairly medium sized takeaway shop, with a small assortment of tables pushed up against the side and some benches for people waiting to collect orders. Bright cheery music that Fjord recognised as an old Damalian melody filtered through some old speakers that gave it a tinny quality and posters plastered on the walls depicted the ocean, islands and typically touristy photos of the Menagerie Coast.

 

Beau and Fjord slid into chairs at one of the tables while Jester collected menus, all three of them poring over them for a few minutes. As it turned out, a lot of the menu _did_ seem fairly accurate, including typical dishes from all over the Menagerie Coast. The prices were good enough that each of them getting a meal wouldn’t put them too much out of pocket, and now that they had an apartment and a fridge, they could even hold onto leftovers.

 

Jester was absolutely delighted with the options, even if she declared that it probably wouldn’t be any as good as what she would have back home. Fjord was just happy to have something that was _close_ to what he’d used to have in Port Damali. There was a lot of things he didn’t miss from that place, but the food wasn’t one of them. When he could afford to get good food, that is.

 

After taking five minutes to help Beau picked what she wanted — most of which was spent by Jester trying to decide which dish she thought would be best for Beau to try first — they got up to order. Collecting a small receipt with their order number, they went back to the table.

 

“Oh, I’m so glad I’ll get to taste good gruau again.” Jester was almost bouncing on her chair as they waited. “You’ll like it so much, Beau.”

 

“Is it hot?” Beau asked, and Jester nodded. “That’s all I need.”

 

“It’ll be nice to have some proper Damalian food again.” Fjord leaned back in his chair like an old crewmate of his had loved to do, a small smile on his face. “The pasta in the Empire just doesn’t compare.”

 

Jester sighed fondly, closing her eyes and hugging her small backpack to her chair. For a few moments, they were in a sweet, content silence, before Beau spoke.

 

“What’s it like on the coast?” She asked. “You’ve got the ocean and everything.”

 

“Oh, it’s the best! The ocean is so pretty, and it smells so different, and everything is just a lot prettier than it is here.” Jester spoke quickly, tucking her hands underneath her chin. “Nicodranas is the best place in the world.”

 

“I actually spent a lot of time on the ocean as a sailor.” Fjord smiled easily, puffing his chest out a little at the curious looks the two women sent him. “It was… it was an experience.”

 

“Do you miss it?” Beau was leaning back in her own chair, her eyes shifting up to look at the ceiling, avoiding eye contact with either of them.

 

There was another short silence, and Fjord noticed Jester’s shoulders sag a little, felt his own mood slightly deflating. Port Damali was… a lot of things. But it had been his home. For better or for worse.

 

“I miss home a bit.” Jester’s voice was quiet, her gaze fixated on the receipt she held in her hand.

 

“Yeah. I mean, I dunno if I feel homesick, but there’s things I miss.” Fjord said. “It was familiar, you know?”

 

They lapsed into another silence, and Beau looked back at them both, her eyes darting from Jester’s wistful smile to Fjord scratching the back of his neck. Her face, which had ranged from highly suspicious to ever so slightly amused thus far, tightened a little, digging her hands even further into her jacket and pulling her legs up onto her chair without another word.

 

“I mean, it’s still super fun out here, though,” Jester said quickly, her smile just a little stilted. “There are so many cool things! And I met you two!”

 

Fjord gave her a tight, sympathetic smile, while Beau seemed to stare at her knees, her eyebrows narrowing. After a few more minutes their order number was called and they collected their food and drinks, settling back down at the table and distributing everything to the proper person.

 

For some time there wasn’t much chatter, all of them digging into their food. It wasn’t quite the same as what Fjord remembered, but it was close enough to feel comforting. Jester seemed mostly satisfied, and Beau wasn’t afraid to admit that gruau, a Nicodrani, porridge-like dish that Fjord had only had a few times himself, was quite delicious.

 

It didn’t take long before Jester started talking again, listing off all the things they would need to make their new apartment even half as nice as her old home, which, based on how Jester seemed to think silk curtains were an absolute priority, was probably very fancy.

 

Beau was far more practical, so practical that her list of things to have narrowed down to a bed, food, and clothes. Fjord added in some things of his own, like toiletries, more pillows, and wifi, and they spent most of dinner debating what they should get first, how much they should spend while they were all still jobless, and what they could live without while waiting on more funds.

 

By the time they packed up the small amount of leftovers they still had and threw out the rest of the rubbish, they set off back to their apartment, continuing the discussion along the way. Once they got back to their building they had the general plan of first setting up Jester’s bank account so that they could hopefully get some more funds from her mother, and then buying some food so that they had a small stock. Then they’d have to hit the streets to find jobs.

 

“It can’t be that hard,” Jester said as she jiggled the key in the lock, pushing it a little before it finally opened.

 

Fjord flicked the light switch as he walked in, rewarded with the apartment lighting up in dim, yellow-tinted light. He watched Beau poke her head in both the bathroom and bedroom before coming back to tuck their leftovers in the fridge.

 

“I don’t know, Jester, that can depend. What kind of jobs have you done before?” Fjord stretched his arms over his head, walking over to the couch — which he’d known would end up being his bed as soon as they walked in. Jester always claimed the bed if there was only one — and looking out the window at the night skyline of Zadash.

 

“Ummm… none?” Jester leaned against the table, a sheepish grin on her face.

 

“Well, that might make it a bit more difficult. What kind of stuff can you do?”

 

Jester thought for a moment, while Beau went back to the bedroom, coming back without her backpack on. “Oh! I’m very good at painting, and I’m very strong, and I’m good at pranks, and I’m very nice and cute and lots of other things.”

 

“Strong is good.” Fjord wracked his brains, trying to think of something that would suit someone like Jester. “And being nice is good too. If people like you, that’ll make getting a job easier.”

 

“But how does it work?”

 

“Usually people have resumés.” Fjord sighed. “But we don’t really have the means to make or print any of those right now, so we’ll have to make do. Best we can probably do for now is just go door to door and see which places are looking to hire. Give them our numbers, let them know we’re willing, sometimes that’s all it takes.”

 

“Maybe that restaurant is hiring. It would be nice working there.” Jester mused, before yawning and covering her mouth. “Mm, I’m gonna go to bed now. Beau, do you have a blanket?”

 

Beau looked up, either a little confused at the question or surprised at being addressed. “Oh, uh, I have my sleeping bag, but that’s about it.”

 

“Does it like, unzip? Can you make it a blanket?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Oh cool, we can use that then.”

 

“ _We?”_

 

Jester blinked. “Yeah, there’s only one bed. I mean, it’s more like a mattress, but still. Fjord gets the couch.”

 

Beau opened her mouth before closing it again, her eyes suddenly looking anywhere but Jester. Fjord had never been more thankful that he was stuck on eternal couch duty. He mentally made a note that blankets might be a priority for them to buy.

 

“Right. Okay.” Beau said slowly, not quite blushing but with a slightly ill expression on her face that was only magnified by the yellow tint of the lights. Jester didn’t seem to notice at all, just yawning again before heading down the hallway to their bedroom.

 

Beau stayed frozen for a few more moments, before her eyes flickered to Fjord and she cleared her throat, straightening up and silently daring him to say anything. Which he did.

 

“Have fun with that.” He smirked, and Beau quickly strode down the hallway, her arms folded across her chest. Yeah, he had a feeling she’d fit in just fine with him and Jester.

 

He made sure their door was locked and that the windows weren’t easily opened, feeling a little smug that they had their own apartment now. Sure, it was small and cramped and horribly under furnished, but it was theirs.

 

After double-checking that they were secure as they could probably be, he walked down to the bedroom door, which was currently closed. He knocked softly on it twice, clearing his throat.

 

“Night, girls.” He said.

 

“Goodnight Fjord!” Jester’s response was cheery and light. “See you in the morning!”

 

After a moment, there was a far more subdued, “Night.” From Beau, and he turned around and went back to the couch.

 

He slipped off his daytime hoodie and dug in his pack for the one he liked to sleep in, betting that it would probably get cold during the night. He pulled out his own sleeping bag and huddled into it, folding up his scarf to use as an improvised pillow and resting on his side.

 

In the silence, he focused on his body, resting a hand in front of him. After a few moments of looking at it, memorising every bump, line and faded scar, he snapped his fingers. There was a spark of sickly green energy, curling around his fingers before it vanished into the air, the smell of salt hitting his nose.

 

A tiny spark was the least of what he’d been able to figure out he could do, but when he spent most of his time pretending to the outside world that he _didn’t_ have magic, sometimes a spark was all he needed to remember.

 

Tomorrow would be a new day, he knew. They’d gotten a start on what would hopefully be a good foundation, but there was so much they needed to do if they were going to keep it. So much he needed to do just to make sure they’d be alright before he could even think about heading to the Academy. It would be exhausting, but hopefully worth it.

 

He was close, so close to finding answers. If he could understand… if he could find out what had happened to him, perhaps he could understand it. Perhaps he could get more powerful, and then he could probably get a job with the Academy or with the Empire or someone, and he wouldn’t have to worry about money again. He wouldn’t have to worry about being on the streets again. Being alone again.

 

He was so close, all he had to do was not fuck this up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> good thing jester knows what to do when there's only one bed
> 
> anyway hello Fjord POV. While most of the chapters I've written so far are from Beau's POV, both Jester and Fjord will be getting some from here on out (Jester a bit more than Fjord, he just happened to get his first) because Beau's not the only one doing exciting things now that they're in the city. 
> 
> also anyway hello fjord's magic. a bit. a little bit. 
> 
> also also anyway gruau is a thing I based on a legit traditional dish from Moldova, Romania, and around that area, mămăligă. Culture wise I wanted the story to have a European feel (with many liberties taken because I am Australian and also because I change things at will). 
> 
> also also also anyway Episode 69 broke my heart and the day it happened I'd just finished writing a chapter involving Yasha and it hurt my heart even more


	6. Jester 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Fjord, Jester and Beau go out on the town and find a place that sells food from the Menagerie Coast for dinner. A little conversation about the Coast ends up making Fjord and Jester feel a little homesick, but they quickly try to move past it, going back to the apartment and discussing all the other things they'd need to do to establish themselves in the city. As the three of them head off to bed, Fjord is hopeful that things will turn out well.

Jester first drifted into wakefulness at the sensation of someone moving beneath her, trying very hard to do so gently but not really succeeding. The firm arm Jester had been using as a pillow carefully pulled itself out from underneath her, and Jester groaned, reaching up to try and bring it back so she could go back to sleep again.

 

Her fingers brushed Beau’s as Jester opened her eyes, seeing Beau tense up, her hand freezing where Jester had touched it. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, her hair loose and falling over half her face, her cheeks flushed.

 

“Hey, uh, sorry about that.” Beau pulled her hand away and stood up, crossing the few steps from their mattress to where her big backpack was sitting on the ground.

 

“Sorry about what?” Jester untangled herself from the sleeping bag they’d been using as a blanket, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. “Did I poke you with my tail or something?”

 

“No, you’re fine.” Beau looked away, and Jester tilted her head. “Sorry I woke you up.”

 

Jester had a feeling that wasn’t the only thing she was sorry about, but she had no idea what else there could be. Despite the uncomfortable mattress and absolute lack of proper pillows and blankets, Jester had slept great. Beau had been stiff and rolled over on her side with her back facing Jester as soon as they’d gotten into bed, but after she’d fallen asleep she was surprisingly soft, and warm, and very nice to cuddle with. She also snored a lot, but Jester was used to snoring (back home, her friend Blüd’s snoring could be heard by practically everyone in the Lavish Chateau) so that didn’t bother her.

 

But before Jester could ask for clarification, Beau had strode away towards the bathroom, rubbing the arm Jester had been sleeping on.

 

After a few moments of lying on the mattress and silently wishing Beau would come back, Jester climbed out of bed herself, stretching her arms and picking up her phone from where she’d left it on charge overnight, Beau’s phone sitting beside it.

 

They didn’t have any wifi and Jester only had limited data, which she always saved to send messages to her Mama, letting her know she was okay. The last texts she had sent had been late last night, just before they went to bed, a long wall of text detailing what a brilliant day they’d had, that they’d found an apartment, and Beau had agreed to stay with them, and everything was going wonderfully.

 

Mama hadn’t responded yet, but considering she’d sent it close to midnight, Jester wasn’t too worried. She sent a quick good morning text, with lots of love hearts and smiley faces, before turning off her phone.

 

When she left the bedroom, she walked into the main room, seeing Fjord still fast asleep, snoring lightly on the couch. She automatically opened the built-in cupboards above the kitchen counters to look for breakfast, only to remember that they were entirely empty. The only food they had in the apartment was the leftovers from last night’s dinner, and Jester really didn’t want to have that for breakfast.

 

The sound of running water from the bathroom reminding her that Beau was currently unavailable, Jester tip-toed over to the couch, poking Fjord on the forehead.

 

“Fjoooooord~” She stage-whispered, poking a little harder. “Fjord!”

 

“Uh-” Fjord’s hand came up and batted away hers, rolling over and grumbling. A mischievous smile playing on her lips, Jester started poking Fjord’s cheeks.

 

“Come on Fjooooord, we need to go buy breakfaaaaast-” When Fjord just grumbled more in response, burying himself deeper into his sleeping bag. Which was impressive, because it was only barely big enough for him to begin with. “If you don’t wake up I’ll go buy a million pastries and I won’t share at alllllll~”

 

The sound of financial irresponsibility was finally enough to get Fjord’s eyes to snap open, his voice still sleepy. “Jester noooo, don’t do that. We gotta save money.”

 

“I’ll do it, you can’t stop me~” Jester snickered, standing up and taking a few steps back. “I’m going to go right now!”

 

“Nooooooo…” It was hard to tell if Fjord actually believed she would go out and do it (and it was tempting) or if he was just sleepy, but either way, he rolled over, this time onto the ground with a thud. “Ugh…”

 

Jester stood over Fjord, as he rolled onto his back, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. “I always let you sleep in when you want to.” He didn’t sound particularly upset, just slightly irritated.

 

“Yeah, but we need breakfast!” Jester walked over to Fjord’s feet, grabbing the end of his sleeping bag and pulling it up until Fjord fell out of it.

 

Finally, Fjord managed to get up, grumbling about being rudely awoken and having to wait for Beau to get out of the bathroom. Jester smiled sweetly, getting dressed in her last clean dress (thank goodness this apartment building had a laundry room on the bottom floor) and waiting not-so-patiently for the other two to finish getting ready.

 

Beau was quick, just as eager for some breakfast as Jester was, and proudly proclaiming that her morning routine could take an easy five minutes, three of which was spent in the shower. Fjord, presumably out of revenge for being woken up, dragged his feet, bemoaning about how difficult it was to figure out how the shower works and pretending to look for a hairbrush that probably didn’t exist until Jester finally apologised.

 

“Okay, now that you’re _finally_ ready-” Jester said, hands on her hips as Fjord took his sweet time putting his shoes on, encouraged by Beau’s snickers. “We can go! I saw a bakery last night so I bet we could get some really nice breakfast there.”

 

“Wouldn’t that be expensive?” Beau asked. She had her backpack on, fiddling with the straps.

 

Jester paused, considering that. Learning to be aware of how much money she had and how much things cost was still a relatively new experience for her. It was always upsetting when she passed by something she would have really liked, but being unable to afford it.

 

“I… maybe.” Her face fell at the thought of not being able to have a nice, hot pastry or something from a bakery. She and Fjord had been having cheap sandwiches and fast food for breakfast for a while, saving their coins and notes for when they’d get to Zadash. Now that they were here, she realised she still had to be careful.

 

“We can have a look.” Fjord finally straightened up, a reassuring look on his face. “I’m sure a bear claw or something won’t be too expensive.”

 

Brightening up at that thought, Jester opened the door to the apartment, stepping out into the hallway. Her eyes scanned around, always hopefully looking out for anyone else who lived on the floor, if only to introduce herself…. and then become best friends. Claudia had only had the one apartment available for rent, so that meant the others had to be full, right?

 

There were no people, but directly across from their door, in front of a door marked with an ‘A’, was a tabby cat sitting squarely, tail flicking back and forth and green eyes staring straight at them.

 

Jester couldn’t help but gasp. “Omigosh a cat!” All thoughts of breakfast deserted her, and she knelt down in front of the cat, stroking it. It meowed loudly, leaning into her touch.

 

“How’d a cat get in here?” Beau asked, leaning forwards slightly and looking suspiciously at the cat.

 

“I guess Claudia never said pets weren’t allowed.” Fjord knelt down as well, staying a few feet back and eyeing the cat suspiciously. “Huh? Are you someone’s pet?”

 

“Ah, ja. He is mine.” An unfamiliar voice cleared his throat, with an obvious accent that Jester could recognise from old movies she’d watched. Zemnian! That was it. From deep within the Empire’s borders.

 

She looked up to see the voice’s owner, a rather shabby looking human man with reddish-brown hair, walking slowly towards them from the stairwell and stopping about ten feet away. He wore a long, raggedy thick cloak with a fur lining and a multitude of pockets, that looked like it had seen better days, good days, mediocre days, and was now firmly in the ‘every day is a bad day’ camp. The man’s hands dug into two of the pockets and he looked at the three of them not quite with suspicion, but wariness. He was probably just a couple inches shorter than Fjord, but he slouched, making him seem far smaller than he actually was.

 

“He is such a cute cat!” Jester said, continuing to pet the purring cat. “What’s his name?”

 

The man blinked, and when he spoke, his voice was slightly hesitant, not quite monotonous but almost. “Frumpkin.”

 

“Awwwww, that’s adorable!” Jester moved from petting the cat to scratching his tummy, rewarded with lots of purring.

 

“You live on this floor?” Beau asked.

 

“Ja. That is my apartment you are all standing in front of.” The man didn’t make a move to shuffle past them to get to the door, his eyes sliding to where Frumpkin seemed very pleased with himself.

 

“Oh, well, we just moved into Apartment C there. It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance.” Fjord smiled easily, walking up and holding out a hand. “My name’s Fjord.”

 

There was a short pause, and Jester looked up to see the man look at Fjord’s hand, but not move to shake it himself. “I’m Caleb Widogast. Nice to meet you.”

 

“I’m Jester!” Jester called out from the floor. “That’s Beau, do you have any roommates?”

 

“I have one, yes.” Caleb paused, taking a few steps forward and kneeling down. Frumpkin rolled over on the ground, purring for a few more seconds before wriggling out from beneath Jester’s belly scratches and jumping gracefully into Caleb’s waiting arms. “He likes you.”

 

“I am very likable.” Jester grinned, and the corner of Caleb’s mouth twitched, just a little.

 

Fjord cleared his throat as both Jester and Caleb straightened up. “Well, it was wonderful to meet you Caleb, but I think we’d best get going. Wouldn’t want to block you from your apartment any longer.”

 

“Uh, ja. You too.” Caleb awkwardly shuffled towards his apartment door, pulling out a small ring of keys.

 

“Maybe we can meet your roommate when we get back!” Jester suggested hopefully. “You know, if they want to.”

 

Caleb shot her a brief look with a very small polite smile. “Yes, maybe. It was nice to meet you. Goodbye.”

 

His door closed with a light click, and Fjord and Beau promptly turned around and continued walking towards the stairwell. After hesitating for a moment, Jester turned and jogged to catch up with them.

 

“He seemed nice.” She said brightly. “Kinda weird, but nice.”

 

“He seemed suspicious,” Beau said flatly, peering over her shoulder. “I don’t trust him.”

 

“He has a cute cat though! Didn’t you see him?” Jester leaned her head on Beau’s shoulder, holding her arm.

 

“Evil people can have cats, you know.”

 

“Not cats that adorable! You can admit he was adorable, Beau.” Jester smirked, and after a moment Beau snorted, her mouth quirking up into a smile.

 

“Alright, the cat was cute.” She snickered, making a half-hearted attempt at shrugging Jester off before accepting her fate. “Let’s go find breakfast.”

 

“Do you think we’ll meet other people who live on our floor?” Jester asked as they made their way down the nine flights of stairs. “It would be nice to have friends around.”

 

“It would be nice to have an actual pillow.” Fjord said lightly.

 

“And food in the fridge,” Beau added on.

 

“And sheets.” Jester sighed. “Has anyone seen a store where we can get any of those things?”

 

“Nope.”

 

The air outside was crisp and warm, promising a pleasant day with barely a cloud in the sky. Once armed with a small assortment of pastries, the trio slowly made their way through Zadash, fumbling through wifi hotspots so that they could get directions to banks, grocery stores, anywhere they thought they might need to go.

 

Their efforts were constantly hampered by all the interesting things they passed along the way, because what was Jester supposed to do, _not_ stop to take a look?

 

After splitting a few pastries for breakfast, they went to make a bank account, only to remember that Jester’s criminal record — okay it wasn’t so much a criminal record as a warrant out for her immediate arrest — meant it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to open the account in her name. So much like with the apartment lease, Fjord opened up the account in his name instead, depositing most of their money into it and quickly texting her Mama the account details.

 

Of course, opening a bank account meant waiting in line, dealing with bank tellers and lots of other _boring_ things. So while Fjord handled all of that, Jester tried to see how many pamphlets and tables she and Beau could rearrange before anyone noticed.

 

After getting thrown out of the bank, she and Beau amused themselves by trying to deface the sign, getting halfway to erasing the ‘e’ in Fucek Bank before Fjord walked out again with a small bundle of paperwork.

 

“You two are going to be magnets for trouble, aren’t you.” He deadpanned.

 

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Jester said solemnly, holding a hand over her heart and throwing the permanent marker she’d been using over her shoulder. She managed to hold the expression for a full two seconds before breaking out into a grin.

 

“They deserve it for having such a stupid name for their bank.” Beau quipped, not even bothering to hide the pen Jester had lent her. “They should expect this.”

 

“Well if the police ever arrest you, I will not be paying bail.”

 

“If the police ever arrest me I’ll probably get immediately shipped back to Kamordah and you’ll never see me again, so you won’t have to worry about it.”

 

“If the police ever arrest _me_ I’ll probably get shipped back to Nicodranas so you don’t have to worry about me either!” Jester smiled brightly and gave Fjord two thumbs up, while Beau snickered.

 

Fjord’s eye twitched, but he quickly composed himself, muttering under his breath that it _was_ a stupid name for a bank before they moved on to the next item on their agenda, groceries.

 

The cheapest supermarket they could find was a local one, Tarla’s Convenience. It was small but kind of adorable, most of it dedicated to selling food, but with a small section full of different kinds of flowers for sale. Halfway through Fjord noticed a help wanted sign posted around and immediately went to inquire about it, leaving Beau and Jester to sort out the shopping.

 

Which probably would’ve been fine, except they had a budget of ten gold notes and Jester had never had to buy groceries on a budget in her entire life.

 

“What about this?” She asked, holding up a cake.

 

Beau took one look at it before promptly lifting it out of her hands and placing it back on the shelf. She was carrying a basket with what they’d decided on so far, which wasn’t much besides some milk, oats, canned foods and all sorts of other _boring_ things. Jester didn’t understand how Beau could be so delighted about juice. Sure it was on special, but it was just _juice_.

 

“This should be enough to last us like…” Beau looked over the food in her basket with a critical eye, frowning. “Four days. A week if we skip lunch.”

 

“We can’t skip lunch!” Jester said, aghast. They needed more money, fast. Or they were never going to have enough left over to buy a nice blanket. Or her favourite brand of shampoo.

 

“How are we going?” Fjord walked up to them looking satisfied and nodding when Beau showed him the basket. “This under budget? Looks good.”

 

“You find out if they’re actually hiring?” Beau asked.

 

“Yeah, looking for someone to help stock shelves at night and unload trucks and such.” Fjord said. “I gave them my name, told em you two might be interested as well. Hopefully, they’ll call.”

 

“Hopefully. There’s an awful lot of hopefully’s with all of this.” Beau sighed, looking down at their basket.

 

Jester felt herself frown a little, unable to stop herself from wondering if Beau was beginning to regret going along with them. “It’ll be okay! Mama will send us more money and we’ll all get jobs and it will be okay!”

 

“No use getting discouraged when it’s only our second day.” Fjord’s smile was small and stilted, putting a hand on Jester’s shoulder. “I mean, we’ve got to be realistic, but have some faith.”

 

“No offense, but faith rarely gets me anywhere.” Beau’s voice was laced with bitterness, and she looked up, her face tense. “Don’t get me wrong, I’m not bailing on this. I just... I don’t like plans based on so many uncertainties. What if we don’t find jobs quickly? What if your mother can’t or won’t send us money?”

 

Beau’s frown deepened so that it could almost be called a scowl, and Jester held her hands together, her thumb rubbing circles on the back of her other hand.

 

“Yeah, me neither.” Fjord said. “But it’s the best plan we’ve got.”

 

Beau hummed a non-response to that, quickly coughing to break the tension that had suddenly sprung up between the three of them. “Right. Let’s buy these and then go find a pharmacy or wherever we need to go next.”

 

Beau stayed quiet for a little while after that, and Fjord took the lead in getting them to the pharmacy, picking out basic toiletries and any other small essentials they needed. Jester didn’t feel comfortable just standing by. Of _course_ her Mama would send her some money, why wouldn’t she? Of _course_ they’d all get jobs eventually, it was just a matter of time and then they wouldn’t have to worry about it. Tiny bits of worry pricked at the back of her mind, sure, but they were easily shoved away, stuffed into boxes where Jester could ignore them forever.

 

So rather than dwell on it, she decided to try and cheer up Beau instead. She found brands of shampoo with weird names on them and pronounced them as incorrectly as she could, acting like she was trying to promote the product in a tv commercial. Fjord found it amusing as well, pointing out other brands with funny names to make fun of, but Beau seemed determined to sulk until Jester discovered her secret weapon.

 

“I bet you can’t find a name sillier than ‘A la Fragerance a la emota’, Beau,” Jester smirked, holding up a perfume bottle and waving it in front of Beau’s face. “This is literally the stupidest thing ever.”

 

“Oh, it’s a bet now?” Beau’s mouth quirked into a smirk and Jester’s widened into a grin. Ha. Success. “You’re on, Jester.”

 

“Bonus points if you find something with a dumb name that’s on special,” Fjord said dryly, squinting between two different generic brands of two in one shampoo. “I want to have more than zero coins by the end of today.”

 

“Just you wait, I’ll find the dumbest thing in this entire store.” Beau folded her arms and tilted her head upwards defiantly, before spinning on her heel and beginning to search the shelves.

 

“Children.” Fjord rolled his eyes very theatrically, but the small smile on his face ruined the effect.

 

Jester quickly stuck her tongue out at him before darting off to look in another aisle for hilariously-named toiletry items with low prices. It was fun, really. Sure, they were all dirt poor and jobless and up until very recently, homeless, but they could still have fun. Things were looking up. Maybe Fjord and Beau didn’t have the same optimism she had, but that just meant she could be optimistic for both of them. Everything would work out in the end, she was sure of it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yay jester pov chapter!!!!!! and caleb!!!! and frumpkin!!!! yay!!!!!!
> 
> also im moving my update date to tuesdays rather than wednesdays because uni starts tomorrow (ew) and so I dont want to forget an update cause im busy dying in a classroom lmao


	7. Beau 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Jester, Fjord and Beau go out to buy essential supplies they'll need with the little amount of money they have left. They also set up a bank account (in Fjord's name), commit some vandalism, and meet one of their neighbours, a scruffy man named Caleb who has a cat named Frumpkin. Their shopping involves lots of bargain hunting, but Jester is optimistic, and hopeful to meet even more people.

They got back to their apartment building by mid-afternoon, laden down with bags of food, toiletries, and other essential items. Well, to be more accurate, Beau and Fjord were laden down. Jester had made one offhand comment about how she wondered who would be able to carry more between the two of them and the resulting one-upmanship meant Jester’s hands were completely free.

 

Since Beau had seen Jester lift up their couch to check for rats hiding underneath, she was fairly certain it wasn’t because Jester was too weak to carry many bags, she just didn’t _want_ to. By the time Beau realised Jester was grinning like an imp, she was bogged down by ten bags and just impressed enough to let her get away with it.

 

Besides, she had one more bag than Fjord did, so that meant she _won_.

 

By the time she and Fjord had plodded their way up eight flights of stairs, she was regretting that decision a little bit, but Jester had raced ahead four flights ago and so there was nothing to do about it but continue moving forward and teasing Fjord for being weak despite that fact that her arms felt like they were about to fall off.

 

“Caaaayleb! Hello?” She heard knocking as she staggered into the hallway of Floor Nein, leaning onto the wall to look like she’d done it on purpose, not that Jester was looking her way anyway.

 

The tiefling was knocking insistently on the door of Apartment A, of the suspicious Caleb and his mysterious roommate. Plus his cat.

 

“Are you home? We’re back!” Jester called out, and Beau looked back down the stairwell to where Fjord was overcoming the final few steps.

 

“Probably not home, Jester,” Beau said, still leaning against the wall as she made her way to their apartment door, fumbling with her hand to find her key (Fjord had claimed the other) without dropping any of her bags. When that proved impossible, she dumped half of them onto the ground so she could open the door, while Jester continued to knock on their neighbours door. “Jester, if they aren’t answering they either don’t want to answer or they’re not able to answer.”

 

As if the universe had just been waiting to prove her wrong, the door Jester was knocking on opened at that very moment, and as she gathered up the bags she’d dropped, Beau caught a glimpse of the same strange scrabbly redheaded man that they’d met this morning. Somehow he looked even _more_ disheveled than he had, not that Jester seemed to notice or care.

 

Beau heaved her shopping bags into their kitchenette, lifting them onto the tiny bench and pushing them against the wall, making a token effort to put things away by putting a carton of milk in the fridge and then promptly leaving everything else to go check out their neighbour.

 

She patted Fjord supportively on the shoulder as she squeezed past him in the doorway, sliding up next to Jester.

 

“I told you we’d come to see you when we came back, didn’t I? To meet your roommate!” Jester clapped her hands together.

 

Caleb looked somewhere between a deer stuck in headlights and a student in the middle of exams, blinking for a few moments before his eyes flickered to the side.

 

“Ah. I suppose you did.” He finally said.

 

He was still wearing the same shabby coat he’d been wearing that morning too, though the sleeves were rolled up and his hands were stained with ink. As in, half his hand was a shade of blue.

 

“What happened to your hand?” Beau asked. Instantly Caleb stuck his hands into his pockets, and Beau’s inner alarm bells began to ring.

 

“I spilled ink on them,” Caleb said.

 

“What were you doin?” Beau folded up her arms, peering past Caleb to look into his apartment. She caught sight of a rickety bookcase that was absolutely packed to the brim with books that themselves looked one more page away from exploding before Caleb stepped to the side, blocking her view and closing the door a little.

 

“I have many hobbies involving ink.” Beau wasn’t sure if it was the accent making everything sound suspicious or if Caleb was actually shady, but she was leaning towards the second. “Calligraphy… things like that.”

 

“Oh, calligraphy is so pretty!” Jester cast a half-confused glance at Beau for barely a second before focusing her attention back to Caleb, seeming determined to make friends with the neighbours no matter what it took.

 

Beau just wanted to know what this guy actually did, since she doubted it was calligraphy.

 

“Can we see any?” Jester continued to talk. Caleb still seemed slightly on edge, especially as he glanced furtively between Jester and Beau like he might shut the door on them at any moment. “Or your roommate, is he here?”

 

“She is…” Caleb peered over his shoulder, and at the same moment, there was a shuffling down at his waist, as a round face peered out from behind him, sharp yellow eyes narrowed suspiciously up at them.

 

Beau could practically hear Jester’s face light up, while she carefully noted the green skin poking out from behind stringy black hair. “Oh, hi! I’m Jester! This is Beau!” She wrapped an arm around Beau’s shoulder without warning, quickly releasing after Beau tensed up.

 

The roommate shuffled a little further out from behind Caleb, arms folded and hidden by an oversized jacket. “I’m Nott.”

 

“Nice to meet you, Nott!” Jester patted down her skirt. “Caleb probably already told you, but we’re your new neighbours!”

 

Nott’s head tilted, squinting at Jester and then squinting even more at Beau. “As in like, permanent neighbours?” Her voice had the quality of someone who gargled nails when they woke up every morning, gravelly and scratchy.

 

“That’s the plan.” Fjord’s voice cut into the conversation, bright before dropping into a more sarcastic tone. “Thanks for all the help in putting our food away properly, roommates.”

 

“You’re welcome.” Beau and Jester said at the same time.

 

Jester threw an arm around Fjord’s shoulder, dragging him down to her height. “This is Fjord!”

 

“Nice to meet you. Nott, was it?”

 

“Yeah…” Nott’s voice trailed off a little. “You’re green.”

 

“So are you.” Beau pointed out, raising an eyebrow at the looks Caleb and Nott gave her. “I’m just saying.”

 

“Perhaps do not say it quite so loud,” Caleb muttered. Beau clenched her jaw and tensed her folded arms, looking to Jester and Fjord.

 

“A colourful bunch, aren’t we.” Fjord chuckled. “This building seems to attract a lot of interesting types if what Claudia told us is true.”

 

“Oh yeah! Was there actually a gang in our apartment?” Jester bounced on her feet. “Because that’s _super_ cool if there was!”

 

“I have no idea. I don’t think I ever met those guys.” Nott scratched behind her ear, which was long and had a small chunk taken out of it.

 

“They were… not fond of the government. Arrested on charges of conspiracy.” Caleb shrugged his shoulders loosely. “I don’t think I would consider them a gang.”

 

“They weren’t even the weirdest people in this building. You should meet the people down the hall.” Nott stuck a thumb down in the direction of the two remaining apartments on the floor, before grimacing.

 

“Really?” Jester looked absolutely delighted, and Beau was curious about their _other_ neighbours as well. Always good to know who she’d be surrounded by for however long before she got kicked out or something. “What are they like?”

 

Nott raised an eyebrow before a small, toothy grin spread on her face. So she liked to gossip. As a professional snoop, Beau could respect that. “ _Well_ , I’m like ninety percent sure one of them has actually died. Or eats people who has died.”

 

“What.” Beau couldn’t stop herself from making her disbelief known, but Nott just nodded.

 

“It’s true! He makes them into _tea_! I wouldn’t be surprised if he turned out to be a murderer.” Nott planted her hands on her hands, now a good step or two in front of Caleb. Yeah, she was definitely a goblin. While still hidden in the shadows Beau could have _possibly_ believed that she was just a very very sick halfling with some kind of genetic disease, but now there was no doubting. It would explain some of the shiftiness, at least.

 

Jester was suitably impressed with Nott’s story, her eyes going wide when Nott mentioned that the _other_ occupant of this floor was either a famous rockstar who was currently on tour with some random band despite living in a dingy apartment building, or a total weirdo who spends most of the week doing who knows what before sneaking into their own apartment, blasting classical music for an hour at four am before disappearing into the void again.

 

It was just specific enough that Beau could believe it, and she wanted to find out more. Caleb proved to have far more reasonable theories.

 

“Apartment B is a firbolg and Apartment D has been unoccupied since we moved in but is still being rented by someone. I think the classical music comes from the firbolg.”

 

“No, Caleb, I _know_ it’s from the other one! It’s a ninja or something! I hid in the garbage chute and I could _hear_ it!”

 

“Can’t you ask Claudia who rents it?” Jester asked, and Nott shook her head with the bitterness of someone who’d tried it already.

 

“Apparently it’s ‘a breach of confidentiality’ or some bullshit.” She rolled her eyes theatrically.

 

“Why don’t you stake out the place and see who goes in?” Beau suggested.

 

“Whoever it is doesn’t use the door.” Nott scowled, glaring down the hallway. “I’ll catch them someday.”

 

“Then we can meet them!” Jester rubbed her hands together in glee, and Beau had a feeling that Jester and Nott would have entirely different motives to meeting whatever mysterious neighbour doesn’t use the door to their own apartment. “Maybe I can help! Wouldn’t that be fun, Beau?”

 

Beau glanced down the hallway, already knowing what her inability to mind her own business would make her say. “Definitely sounds interesting.”

 

“Great! We’ll find out who they are, and be their friend, and then we’ll all be neighbours!” Jester said.

 

“I hope you’re not planning on doing anything particularly invasive.” Fjord seemed mostly amused and far less concerned than any reasonable person probably should be. Caleb didn’t seem very worried about the privacy of this mystery person either. At least they were all on the same page.

 

“Of course not!” Nott said, before glancing at the three of them with a critical eye. “You wouldn’t happen to have any spy cameras, would you?”

 

“Nope. We’ll get right onto buying one of those after we get a microwave.” Beau smirked. Nott and Caleb still rang up as very suspicious in her books, but since everyone rang up as suspicious that didn’t necessarily mean anything. Caleb’s ink stains were intriguing and the question of what a goblin was doing in Zadash even more so, but more on the interesting side of intriguing rather than the ‘potentially dangerous’ side. For now.

 

“Do you guys want to hang out? We can go somewhere!” Jester said, whipping out her phone like she’d been waiting for this moment since the conversation had started.

 

Caleb and Nott both started, eyes widening slightly in surprise.

 

“Go somewhere?” Nott recovered first, blinking up at Jester like she was still processing. Caleb seemed half frozen before subtly shaking himself out of his stupor, looking towards Beau and Fjord, who just shrugged.

 

“Yeah!” Jester absolutely beamed, and Beau couldn’t believe how genuine it was. She was never able to smile as nicely as Jester could, but she was pretty sure the tiefling would be able to befriend a manticore if given half a chance. “We could talk about spying plans!”

 

Nott stared for another moment before digging around in her pockets and pulling out five buttons, half a stale bread roll, three copper pieces and a handful of lint before procuring a smartphone that looked three years out of date and had probably passed through more than one set of hands.

 

“Quite a collection.” Fjord said blandly, and Nott narrowed her eyes up at him, obviously not quite liking him as much as she seemed to like Jester. Which probably said more about Jester than Fjord.

 

“I have lots of hobbies.” Nott stuck her nose in the air while unlocking her phone, pointedly punching in each digit of Jester’s phone number into her contacts list. Jester was trusting enough to give Nott her phone in order to do the same.

 

“Caleb, Caleb, if you give me your number too I can make a group chat! With all of us!” Jester grinned, and now it was Beau’s turn to look at her in surprise.

 

“A what now?” Fjord asked. Jester rolled her eyes.

 

“A _group chat_ , Fjoooord~” She drawled, waving her phone in the air with a mischievous smile. “You’re not so old you don’t know what a group chat is, right?”

 

“Of course I know what a group chat is! But why do we need one?”

 

Jester thought for only a moment, probably considering this question for the first time. Still, it didn’t take long for her to come up with an answer.

 

“It can be for this floor of course! A neighbours group chat! We can talk about the view, or the rent, or our super secret mysterious neighbouuuur, or jobs, or conspiracies-” She winked at the last one, reaching out a hand for Caleb’s phone.

 

He didn’t end up giving it to her, but rather to Nott, who copied Jester’s phone number from her own phone. Caleb then promptly took his leave, muttering something about hearing Frumpkin purring from inside and disappearing into his apartment. Nott stayed outside a little longer, seeming invigorated by the idea of having companions in her quest to unravel the mystery of the strange neighbour, before going back inside herself.

 

“That went so great!” Jester exclaimed as soon as the door to their own apartment closed behind them.

 

“There’s something funny about them,” Beau said. “They’re hiding something.”

 

“I wouldn’t be surprised if everyone on this floor was hiding something, based on what I heard.” Fjord moved over to the kitchenette, scrunching up shopping bags and stuffing them inside one of the bigger bags, hanging it on one of the cabinet handles. “You’re hiding things, aren’t you?”

 

Beau grumbled for a few moments. “I mean, I guess.”

 

Jester gasped, having laid herself out on the couch. “What are you hiding Beau? Is it anything _scandalous_?”

 

“Depends on your definition of scandalous.” Beau smirked easily in Jester’s direction, and the tiefling matched it after only a few moments, ‘ooh’ing teasingly and tucking her hands underneath her chin.

 

She didn’t say anything more beyond waggling her eyebrows very suggestively, tail flicking back and forth in the air, but the implications were there. Beau winked in her direction, turning her head before she could burst into laughter, only to fail in that endeavour when she saw Fjord’s utterly deadpan expression.

 

Beau glided down the hallway into her and Jester’s bedroom. She had left her backpack behind that day, and so she quickly double-checked that everything was right as she had left it. Halfway through her search of all the tiny hidden pockets she’d sewn into that backpack over the years, Jester walked into the bedroom, tapping frantically at her phone.

 

She stood a few steps past the doorway for a moment before glancing up, her eyes laying on Beau crouching on the ground next to her backpack. “Beau! I need your number too!”

 

“For the group chat?” Beau asked curiosity and perhaps a little bit of excitement mingling in her voice. Okay, so she’d never actually been in a group chat. She’d never really had a group with which to make one.

 

“Yeah! It’s gonna kill like… all my data. I’ll have to find a plan that comes with unlimited texting.” Jester frowned for a moment before quickly banishing it. “But I’ll sort that out later!”

 

Beau raised an eyebrow but plugged Jester’s number into her phone anyway. It’s not like she had unlimited texting either. They really needed to get some wifi. And more money.

 

Barely a minute after giving Jester her own number, Beau received a notification inviting her to join a group chat, titled ‘Floor Nein’ with half a dozen emojis following it.

 

**Jester: hi beau!!!!!!!!**

 

“You’re standing right there.” Beau looked up at Jester, smirking.

 

“Yeah, but it’s only polite to say hi in the chat too.” Jester smiled, as Beau’s phone buzzed with more notifications.

 

**Beau: hi**

**Unknown: hello**

**Unknown: Oh no she got you too**

 

Jester audibly huffed, before leaning out of the bedroom door and calling down the hallway. “Don’t be rude, Fjord!”

 

Hearing nothing but muffled chuckles in return, Beau covered her mouth to hide her smirk when Jester turned back around again, pretending to be very busy in figuring out which unknown number was who and assigning contact names accordingly.

 

“Fjord just doesn’t get the beauty of group chats.” Jester slid down to the floor next to Beau, any remaining irritation quickly bleeding away.

 

“Have you been in lots of them?”

 

Jester seemed like the kind of person who would have a million people to text at all hours of the day, the kind of person who would barely get to sleep for all the notifications she’d get. Though now that she thought about it, Beau couldn’t actually think of many times where that had been so.

 

Jester paused for a moment, exhaling. “Oh, not really. The Traveler doesn’t really use a phone, you know? And uh, everyone else I knew lived pretty close by so we didn’t really need it.”

 

Her smile tightened ever so slightly, just a tiny twitch that Beau might not have noticed if she hadn’t been paying attention. It was slightly surprising, and Beau was certain that Jester saw her surprise on her face, even if it wasn’t a big reaction.

 

“I haven’t been in one either,” Beau said after a few moments. “Not many people wanted me in any kind of chat.” She chuckled, looking down at the messages on her phone. Her first messages since one of her old contacts had asked if she was near them for a job, a few months ago.

 

“Well, they’re stupid. You’ve got lots of fun things to say.” Jester nudged Beau with her elbow.

 

A tiny warmth bloomed in her chest, and Beau felt her fingers tighten around her phone. That was new.

 

“You’ve got fun things to say as well,” Beau said slowly, hesitating when Jester glanced up at her before pressing onwards. “Your stories and things. Having you in a chat will be super fun.”

 

Jester’s smile, which had waned into something a bit smaller than her usual bright grin, softened,as she leaned her back against the wall of the room, holding her phone tight in her hand. Her other hand rested on the ground in between them, the air around her feeling a little cooler than the rest of the room. It seemed strange when Jester was so sunny in demeanour.

 

“Now we just need to convince Fjord we don’t really need a microwave if we have wifi,” Beau said quickly, simply to fill the silence, and when Jester giggled, she was glad she did.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hewwo?
> 
> Man what a week. What a wild wild week. Anyway here we go! Chapter 7!! I Wonder Who The Mysterious Neighbours Down The Hall Are HMMMMMMMMMMM WHAT A MYSTERY  
> also hello Nott welcome to the party anyway anyway BEAUJESTER WEEK IS SOON BABEY IM SO EXCITED


	8. Jester 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Once home, Jester knocks on Caleb's door to say hi again. Caleb is slightly reluctant but answers the door. Beau is curious about him, asking questions that get vague and (in her eyes) suspicious answers before Caleb's roommate appears. She turns out to be a goblin woman, who introduces herself as Nott and is quick to tell them about how she finds the other occupants of the floor suspicious, especially a mystery person who apparently lives in Apartment D and plays classical music at odd hours. Jester is fascinated and asks to investigate with Nott. Beau still thinks they're hiding something, but Jester has already collected phone numbers and starts up a group chat with all five of them in it. Beau, who has never been in a group chat before, silently feels pleased about this.

The next day, just the third day since they’d arrived in Zadash, Jester and Beau were walking down the streets. The two of them plus Fjord had bought the things they’d need to survive for the next week or so, but in doing so they’d used up most of their money.

 

Jester’s mother had promised to send some more money soon, but with it still having been relatively soon since she’d left Nicodranas, she wanted to be careful, wary that someone might be keeping an eye on her. So Jester reassured her that they’d be totally fine for now, she could _definitely_ find a job and get her own money and everything was great!

 

So there she was, off looking for a job. Fjord had gotten a call from the convenience store they’d visited yesterday, so he had gone over there barely a minute afterwards for an interview, leaving Beau and Jester by themselves. So they’d both gotten dressed, made a couple of sandwiches and hit the streets, keeping a keen eye out for ‘Help Wanted’ signs and noticeboards.

 

While yesterday they’d walked around with at least a vague sense of direction in mind, this time they didn’t bother with maps, just walking wherever the sounds of people and shops seemed to be, reasoning that that was likely where the jobs would be as well.

 

They walked deeper into the city, snaking their way through whatever streets looked the most interesting. The buildings slowly shifted from the fairly ramshackle, dilapidated look of the sections that the Leaky Tap Apartments were found in, into something far cleaner and stronger-looking, like a building inspector had actually passed through sometime in the last decade.

 

After an hour or so of stopping and starting as they investigated various shops and potential places of employment, Jester noticed an old carved iron signpost with a hanging sign with the words ‘Pentamarket’ on it in a flowing script.

 

The road seemed to end beyond the sign, leaving only pathways for pedestrians, many of whom were bustling around. The din of the city seemed a bit louder here, and the scents of fresh food even more potent.

 

“Do you think it’s some kind of market?” Jester asked, looking at Beau. Beau hadn’t seemed very enthused by the job possibilities they’d located thus far, while Jester had given her phone number to half a dozen local businesses.

 

“Looks like it. I’ve heard Zadash has some big, like, open shopping centre kind of thing. Maybe this is it.” Beau shrugged her shoulders, one eyebrow raised up at the sign.

 

“Hey, that means there’d be lots of jobs, right? We should check it out!” Jester jogged a few steps forward before pausing and looking over her shoulder to see Beau following, albeit at a slower pace.

 

Beau turned out to be right, the cobblestone pavement they were walking on leading them to what seemed like a network of nothing but different shops, restaurants, and miscellaneous businesses. The buildings, like most in Zadash, were at least two stories high, with signs and flags advertising the various businesses contained within.

 

It reminded Jester of the markets back home in Nicodranas, where sellers would set up their stalls and tents every weekend to sell fresh food, trinkets or knick-knacks to anyone who wandered by. It wasn’t often Jester had ever gotten to go to those markets, but when she had she’d milk every second for all it was worth, stopping at every stall, asking to try on or taste everything she could reach.

 

Here in Zadash, the setup seemed a lot more permanent and established. No sellers really stood in front of their stores calling out to advertise their wares, but when Jester passed a store she could see owners talking animatedly to customers, pointing out particular objects or produce. Music hummed from a speaker attached to the corners of buildings, and the streets were filled with people, some alone and some with families or friends, wandering from store to store and seeming to enjoy themselves.

 

If Jester had been distracted by interesting looking shops before, she was absolutely done for here, because there were things to look at _everywhere_. It took them half an hour just to reach the end of the first block, which Jester justified by dropping her phone number and brief spiel about wanting a job to half of the shops she stopped at.

 

There was just so much to see! They passed an ice cream shop with what seemed like a hundred flavours, a café across the road that was utterly overflowing with plants and flowers and would probably have been better suited to being a florist, and a small store with colourful curtains and flowing fabrics waving in the breeze, a flashing sign above claiming a psychic within could tell their future.

 

The only thing that stopped Jester from buying things from each of these places was the fact that between the three of them, they had about four gold notes and ten silver coins.

 

Another hour or so of investigating every shop that looked even halfway interesting (which was all of them), they found themselves in a lush park at the center of the Pentamarket. There were clumps of trees and bushes dotted around and soft grass everywhere, so the two of them found a spot to sit at and eat their lunch.

 

For a sandwich made of ingredients that cost less than a gold note altogether, it tasted pretty nice.

 

“I think this has gone really well!” Jester said brightly in-between bites of her sandwich, flicking through the list of shops that she’d inquired to about jobs. “I think the bakery is my favourite place so far. It smelled so nice.”

 

“Yeah? Reckon they’d give you free pastries at the end of your shift?” Beau’s voice was light. She’d been fairly relaxed, never complaining when Jester stopped them to look at something new, and often seeming quite curious herself.

 

Jester smiled at Beau over her sandwich, waggling her eyebrows. “Maaaaybe.”

 

Beau snickered and rolled her eyes, casting a glance out towards a random direction.

 

“What about you, Beau? If you had to pick one place to get a job at that we’ve seen so far, where would it be?”

 

Beau seemed to think about this a moment, before answering smoothly. “Maybe that one store that sold herbal remedies. Firstly, they’ve _definitely_ got a drug business on the down-low and secondly, the girl stocking the shelves was hot.”

 

Jester just waggled her eyebrows even more at Beau, ‘ooh’ing like a child accusing their friend of having a crush on the kid across the playground. Beau snorted, not looking at all flustered. “You can’t shame me, I know what I want.”

 

“And what you want is a girrrlllfriend~” Jester trilled, laying on her stomach with her hands under her chin, sandwich sitting abandoned by her side.

 

“Oh, definitely not a girlfriend.” Beau waved a hand dismissively, and Jester tilted her head. “Long term relationships are definitely not my thing. Not at all.”

 

Jester nodded slowly, pursing her lips as she tucked that information away in her head. It was a bit hard to picture, that someone might actively avoid getting a boyfriend or girlfriend. She certainly didn’t have a problem with one night stands or anything, but she’d always imagined that everyone, deep down, was looking for someone to share their whole life with eventually. To have a romance with, to marry.

 

Instead of saying any of this, she rolled over onto her back, looking up at the sky, dotted with clouds. “Well,  _I’d_ like a boyfriend. A really handsome one. Tall, and strong and _very_ romantic.”

 

Beau hummed an acknowledgment of her words, so Jester continued. “He will be the _most_ romantic and we’ll get married and move back to Nicodranas and have lots of kids and then everything will be great. He’ll also definitely like the Traveller, and the Traveller will like him back.”

 

“Right, your Traveller.” Beau didn’t sound like she quite believed Jester when she talked about the Traveller, but Jester didn’t mind that much. He wasn’t exactly a very big god, like the Wildmother or the Platinum Dragon or any of those other gods. “What’s his deal again?”

 

“He’s my very best friend.” Jester rolled over onto her stomach again, cupping her hands against her mouth and dropping her voice to a relatively loud whisper. “Besides you and Fjord, obviously. But he was my very first best friend.”

 

“And he’s the one who gave you your magic and junk.” Beau didn’t drop her voice to match Jester’s volume, but no one around them seemed to be listening anyway.

 

“Yeah, he’s super amazing. I can disguise myself and do all sorts of cool things. It’s how I got out of Nicodranas without being caught. He loves tricks and things.”

 

“Is he some popular god in Nicodranas?”

 

“No, it’s just me.” Jester pointed proudly at herself, her tail flicking loosely in the air. “Because I’m the best.”

 

Beau squinted. “You’re the… only follower of this guy?”

 

Jester nodded, beaming. There were a few short seconds of silence before Beau spoke again, her voice very slow and deliberate.

 

“Right. Okay. And you’re sure he’s legit?”

 

“Yeah, he’s my friend. I’ve known him since I was like, a little kid.”

 

There was another silence, and Jester looked up at Beau, who was frowning lightly. Eventually, she shook her head slightly, shrugging her shoulders and adopting a nonchalant expression.

 

“Well, you _do_ have magic, so he must have something going for him.” She muttered, breaking eye contact with Jester and promptly fixating on some sign or building or something at the edge of the park.

 

Jester pulled herself back into a sitting position, picking up her slightly grass-covered sandwich and quickly finishing it off. Beau didn’t say anything more, and the longer the silence dragged on, the antsier Jester became. So she plastered on a smile, shuffling a little closer to Beau.

 

“What about you? Do you follow any of the gods?”

 

Beau finished chewing, one hand holding her sandwich while the other rubbed circles on the side of her knee, her legs folded in a cross-legged position.

 

“Ioun, I guess. I don’t know if I’d call myself a ‘follower’, though.” She made a bunny-ears sign with her free hand, before shrugging.

 

“What do you mean?”

 

“I mean I don’t really pray or anything, but like, if I had to pick one, it’d probably be her.” She continued looking out at that vague spot in the distance, and when Jester tried to follow her gaze, she couldn’t figure out exactly what she was looking at. “She’s the All-knowing Mistress and everything, so I think that’s pretty cool.”

 

“You like books?” Jester found Beau fascinating in a way. She seemed to be skilled at giving information without really revealing anything. Just scraps, hints of something more, making Jester or whoever she was speaking to connect the dots themselves. “Liiiike, a scholar or something?”

 

Beau smirked, her eyes flickering towards her. “Snoop is probably more accurate. I like knowing things. Especially things I’m not allowed to know. Ioun is all about that too.”

 

“She sounds fun. Not as fun as the Traveller of course.”

 

“Of course.”

 

Jester stood up, dusting down the skirt of her dress before stretching her arms above her head and breathing in. Zadash had an entirely different scent to Nicodranas. Where her hometown had had a constant salty tang to the air, Zadash had a smoky smell, stronger in the outer rings and districts of the city but still present even here in this park. It was different, but Jester liked it.

 

Beau climbed to her feet and stretched as well, the loose athletic tank top she was wearing lifting up and revealing a section of Beau’s torso. She was pretty muscular, like runners that would sometimes run through the streets Jester could see from her window. She found her eyes catching, lingering for a few moments. Wow, she was really fit.

 

After a few moments of Beau stretching a little longer than necessary Jester looked up, seeing her winking at a woman who was walking nearby. Okay, that explained that at least. The woman was smiling back at Beau but continued walking, flicking her hair over her shoulder as she turned away, leaning closer to the friend she’d been walking with before giggling.

 

Fiddling with her fingers and cheeks flushed, Jester waited for Beau to turn back to her, a smug half-smile on her face. If only Jester could be so confident flirting. Or had ever really flirted before ever. “So, where to next?”

 

“Uh-” Jester looked around, before finally pointing somewhere in the exact opposite direction that the woman Beau had been flirting with had gone. “This way!”

 

She strode off with all the confidence she could muster, Beau quickly keeping pace and sticking her hands in her pockets as they walked. They soon found themselves in another block of streets that didn’t have roads on which cars could come through, but purely foot traffic, filled with shops and different businesses. Eventually, they seemed to exit the Pentamarket, walking into a street on which cars were able to drive through again, though there were still a few stores and stalls open, trying to capitalise on people walking to and from the Pentamarket itself for business.

 

As they walked along this street, they came across a very large building, longer and wider than the relatively thin wood and stone residential buildings on either side of it. Unlike those buildings, this one was also completely made of stone, smooth and weathered with age, but still appearing somewhat regal. The front of the building had an overhang with intricate carvings decorating the side and curling down pillars that held it up. A wide set of wooden doors a few shades darker than the cool grey stone was closed tight, and above the door was a circular plaque with an odd symbol on it, full of circles and letters in a language Jester didn’t recognise. Carved into the stone between the plaque and the door were the words ‘The Valley Library And Archive Of The Cobalt Soul’ in print letters.

 

It looked wholly unconnected to the rest of the city around it, but at the same time gave off an aura of establishment and importance, so that Jester wouldn’t be surprised if it had been around for centuries.

 

“That’s a long name,” Jester said simply, before noticing a small sign taped to one of the doors. Curious, she walked up closer towards up, trotting up a few steps to get on the same level as the doors.

 

“Hey, it says they’re looking for library workers!” Jester straightened up, already pulling out her phone to add this place to the list of potential places of employment. Then she looked around, only to realise that Beau hadn’t followed her as she had up until this point. “Beau?”

 

She turned around, seeing Beau still standing on the sidewalk, arms folded tensely and looking up at the giant circular plaque. Jester followed her eyes as if looking at it again would help her realise what made Beau stay away, but if there was something there, she was missing it. So she jogged back to where her friend was standing.

 

“Are you okay? I guess working in a library could be kinda boring.” Jester squinted up at the building.

 

Beau’s jaw was clenched, and for a few moments, she didn’t say anything, before she tore her gaze away, focusing on somewhere just above Jester’s eyes. “Sorry. It’s been a while since I’ve seen anything of the Cobalt Soul. Guess I forgot they’ve got a branch in Zadash.”

 

“Do you not like them?” Jester folded her arms to match Beau’s posture, fully prepared to curse the Cobalt Soul and everyone associated with it if she had to.

 

Instead Beau just shook her head, deliberately relaxing her body and letting her arms fall loosely to her side, fingers tapping against her leg. “Not particularly.”

 

“We could totally paint all over their door,” Jester said. “Or graffiti it.”

 

For a moment, Beau stared at her. Then her mouth cracked into a smile, and Jester grinned.

 

“You know, I might take you up on that.” She snickered, clapping a hand on Jester’s shoulder. “But first we’d need money to buy spray paint.”

 

“Sooooo, off to look at more shops? I think I see a candy store a little down the street.” Jester nudged Beau in the arm with her elbow, raising both her eyebrows and lowering them quickly a few times. “They might have free sampleeeees~”

 

“I do love some free samples.” Beau broke into a full-blown grin, and Jester linked her arm with Beau, both of them beginning to walk side-by-side as they left the joint library and archive behind them. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and in this chapter we have lore!!! Jester's continued adventures in heteronormativity and amatonormativity!!! Jester defffiiinnnittteeellly not admiring beau's muscles or getting jealous definitely not!!! 
> 
> also BEAUJESTER WEEK IN LIKE TWO DAYS BABIE ALL MY PROMPTS ARE DONE AND IM READY TO GO WHOOOOOOOOOOOO


	9. Fjord 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Jester and Beau are out looking for jobs and exploring the city, finding markets and stores all over the place. They discuss their ideal jobs and potential romances, with both of them seeming to have very different ideas of the concept. They also discuss their favoured gods, before coming across a big building that holds both a library and the Cobalt Soul, an intelligence organisation. Jester notes that the library is looking for staff, but Beau is reluctant to get close, saying that she isn't a fan of the Cobalt Soul. Jester offers to vandalise the place for her.

Tarla, a ruddy-skinned and mousey-haired gnome, looked Fjord over once when he arrived for what was ostensibly a job interview.

 

“Yep. You’ll do.” Was the first thing they said, before turning around and waving a hand for him to follow them further into the shop. Well, that was easy.

 

Tarla led him into the cramped back area of the shop, which was stacked high with boxes and crates of products, pushed up against all walls he could see, leaving just a narrow walk space that led to what must’ve been a loading bay.

 

“Consider this your interview.” Tarla drawled, turning back to face him. “Get all this out onto the floor before the day’s over, and you’ve got the job.”

 

Fjord surveyed all the boxes and crates, folding his arms. Okay, he wasn’t _as_ strong as his muscles made him appear, but surely he’d be able to handle this. The sooner he got a steady job, the sooner he’d be able to get to the Academy, so he couldn’t let any chance pass him by.

 

“Will I get paid for unpacking all this?”

 

Tarla smirked. “If you do it well enough.”

 

“You’ve got it.” He cracked his knuckles, already judging where the best place to get started would be.

 

Tarla nodded, seeming satisfied and quickly leaving the backroom without so much as a guide on where everything was supposed to go. Fjord supposed part of the test was figuring it out himself, and he wasn’t about to back down from the challenge. No way to tell if the girls would have any luck getting a job quickly, so right now he was their best bet at a steady source of income.

 

Luckily for him, the store layout was fairly small, with about six different aisles of goods, enough that it only took a few walkthroughs for him to more or less figure out what kinds of things went in each aisle. The store mostly sold packets and cans of things, with very little fresh except for a seemingly well-loved mini flower stall in one of the front corners of the store.

 

Fjord got to work, carefully staying out of the way of any customers that came and went while he did, pulling out each crate and box one by one and stacking up the goods inside on the shelves. The backroom itself was small, seeming far fuller than it actually was thanks to the multitude of products that had been stacked within, but it was satisfying to see the space slowly begin to open up, to become less oppressive and constricting.

 

After four hours, Tarla checked up on his progress, seeming satisfied.

 

“Take a break, boy. You keep this up and you’ve got nothing to worry about.” They handed him a cool drink, which was appreciated despite the general chill of the store itself.

 

“Much appreciated.” Fjord gulped down the drink, taking the chance to sit an upturned crate, leaning against the back wall. “Am I allowed to ask what happened to the last person who had this job?”

 

“Arrested.” There was no measure of sympathy for the now ex-employee, or sadness. Just a twinge of bitterness, and a lowered voice, as if wary someone else might be listening.

 

Fjord whistled lowly. “That seems pretty common around here.”

 

Tarla shrugged, rolling up their sleeves. “Hey, it’s the Outersteads. When the police’ve got nothin better to do they come down here and see who they can pick up for doing something stupid. He got caught, that’s on him.”

 

They glanced at him, looking him up and down again. “You’re not gonna do something stupid and get yourself arrested, are ya? Cause hiring new people is a fucking hassle.”

 

Fjord held up a free hand, quickly shaking his head. “Definitely not. The last thing I want to do is get arrested.”

 

There was a short silence, before Tarla slapped a hand on his bicep, chuckling. “That’s what I like to hear. I reckon you’ll fit in nicely with that kind of attitude.”

 

Fjord wasn’t sure if not wanting to get arrested counted as an attitude, but if it got him a job he wasn’t going to complain.

 

He got back to work, slowing down a bit as he tried to fit the goods remaining onto the now limited shelf space available. After a few more hours he felt his phone buzzing, pulling it out in a spare moment to see a few messages from Jester (filled with emojis and multiple exclamation points) listing all the places she and Beau had visited that day, and also asking if he could buy spray paint for them on the way home.

 

Besides the spray paint thing, which was just confusing, it seemed they at least had had a productive day. He quickly told them that there was no way they had money to spare to buy spray paint of all things at the moment, before getting back to work.

 

After another half an hour he noticed a tall woman enter the store but didn’t pay her much mind until he realised she wasn’t leaving, milling around the flower stall and glancing at him every now and then but otherwise seeming content to leave him alone.

 

For a while the two of them coexisted in the quiet store, Tarla disappearing upstairs to a small flat they owned. Fjord finished unpacking the final box, flattening it down and throwing it on top of the pile of boxes in a corner of the room. Surveying the now nearly bare room, he sighed, before ducking out to the floor to let Tarla know he was done.

 

They were still gone when he came out, but the other woman was there, presumably another employee. She was sitting on a chair in the flower stall, carefully trimming a small bunch of flowers and seeming quite focused on her task. She didn’t look as tall while she was sitting down, but Fjord wouldn’t be surprised if she was as tall as him, or even a bit taller.

 

Her hair was thick and a dark black, fading into white at the tips, ending at her mid-back. The majority of it hung loosely, but the top parts of it were braided and dreaded together, beads carefully threaded through clumps and a few strands hanging over her face. Her skin was pale, with a thick dark greyish-blue line tattooed on her skin from the bottom of her lips to the end of her chin, and dark eyeshadow that gave her eyes an almost haunted look.

 

He couldn’t tell what she was wearing from the waist down but she had a simple black t-shirt on, a little loose but showing off arm muscles that were _definitely_ bigger and far more useful than Fjords. A heavy dark grey parka was thrown across the back of her chair, and a silver necklace that looked to be made up of tiny chainlink was around her neck, along with a few leather bracelets on her wrist and a silver band on her ring finger. On her right bicep, a cluster of soft multi-coloured flowers was tattooed on her skin, half-covered by the t-shirt sleeve.

 

Looking around again for Tarla and not seeing them, Fjord figured now was as good a time as any to break the silence between them. If the girl was an employee, which she had to have been, he’d have to do it eventually.

 

“Hey. Any idea if Tarla will come down soon?” He walked up to the stall, tucking his hands in his pockets.

 

The woman looked up at him slowly, her hands hovering with the plant clippers for a moment before she put them down. “Oh.” She looked towards the counter where Tarla usually stood, as if only now realising it was empty. “I’m not sure.”

 

“Well, hopefully, they come back soon. I’d like to know if I actually got this job or not.” Fjord leaned against the edge of a shelf, trying to appear as relaxed as possible. “How long have you been working here?”

 

“Eight months or so.”

 

“How long you been in Zadash?”

 

“Eight months or so.” She didn’t seem nervous so much as just kinda awkward, and slightly cautious.

 

“Huh. Where were you before that?”

 

The woman paused for a moment. “Xhorhas.” She blinked up at him for a moment, as if expecting him to react somehow.

 

To be honest, Fjord didn’t really know that much about Xhorhas. To Port Damali, it was just too far away to worry about, so all he heard about it was that it was full of drow and goblins and orcs and all the other races that got stares when they walked around the streets. As a kid, Fjord had always wondered what it would’ve been like if he’d grown up in Xhorhas with other people who looked at least a little more like him than in Port Damali.

 

But he didn’t mention any of that. “Cool.” Was what he said instead. “I’m from Port Damali.”

 

“Oh.” The woman blinked up at him again, her shoulders relaxing ever so slightly.

 

“Name’s Fjord.” He nodded at her. “I guess we’ll be coworkers from now on.”

 

“I guess so. My name’s Yasha.” She nodded back, her hands in her lap, one hand fiddling with her leather bracelets.

 

Well, not much to do besides wait for Tarla to get back. “These flowers look nice. Is your job to sell them?”

 

Yasha seemed happy for the excuse to look down at her flowers rather than at him, straightening up a little bit. “Oh, that’s part of it. I grow flowers on top of my apartment building, so Tarla let me sell some of them here. I also help take care of the store at night. Stop robbers and things.”

 

“That makes sense.” Fjord nodded. “I doubt any robbers would stand much of a chance against you.” He took a closer look at her arms. Yeah, she definitely worked out.

 

“That’s the idea.” She seemed slightly proud, the awkwardness easing up a little as the conversation continued.

 

“Well, from one newly arrived foreigner to another, you have any tips for surviving in this city? From the way I’ve heard it, it seems pretty easy to run into trouble.” Fjord folded his arms, and Yasha was quiet for a moment, seeming to think carefully.

 

“I’m not sure. I just try to keep my head down, you know? Don’t draw attention to yourself, and people leave you alone. Usually.” Her voice dropped a little, eyes glancing towards the entrance of the shop, but for now, they were alone.

 

That always seemed to be the way, wasn’t it.

 

“I’ll keep that in mind.” He said, even though keeping his head down had been his modus operandi since he was approximately five. “What about the good things in the city? I’ve only been here for about three days, so I haven’t had the chance to do much exploring.”

 

Yasha paused again, seeming to put careful thought into each question no matter how innocuous. “The park is nice. There’s lots of plants and flowers there.”

 

At that moment, the tiny side door that led up to the flat creaked open and Tarla walked out. They saw Fjord standing there talking to Yasha, strode over to the back room and peeked in, before walking up to them both with a grin on their face.

 

“Well, you did it! You kept your word, so I’ll keep mine. Come, let’s sort out all the irritating details.” Tarla walked over to the counter, beckoning him to follow.

 

“I guess I’ll be seeing you again soon, Yasha.” Fjord smiled easily, inwardly breathing a sigh of relief. “It was nice to meet you.”

 

“Ah, you too.” Yasha nodded, watching as he turned and followed Tarla.

 

“So you’ve obviously met Yasha already,” Tarla said, pulling out some documents and forms from below the counter. “She’s my other night-shifter, so you’ll be working with her a lot. I’ve got two others who usually work dayshift, Elise and Daennol, but both of em have been sick the past few days. Luckily I had you around, eh?”

 

It didn’t take them long to sort out the basic details, figuring out his hours, wage (which seemed to be minimum wage based on the scant research Fjord had been able to do but he wasn’t about to complain) and what kind of responsibilities he’d have.

 

“At the end of the day, your biggest job is to make sure all the stock gets loaded up, and we don’t get robbed. We don’t get that many customers during the night anyway.” Tarla said by the end of it, waving a hand dismissively. “If you’ve got questions, Yasha should be able to handle it.”

 

Yasha looked up from where she had been politely ignoring the entire conversation, only perking up at the mention of her name. “Oh, yes. I can do that.”

 

“Wonderful. Looks like we’re all set then. I’ll see you tomorrow night, seven o clock sharp.” Tarla shuffled the documents into a pile and tucked them into a lockable drawer.

 

“Aye aye.” Fjord glanced in the direction of Yasha, who was paying attention now that Fjord was leaving. “See you tomorrow, Yasha.”

 

“Ah, see you.” The woman gave a tiny, quick wave with her hand that Fjord returned before walking out of the store. Once he was a solid fifty feet away he visibly relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief.

 

He’d done it. The biggest hurdle to setting up his new life, to getting settled. A satisfied grin settled on his face, and he pulled out his phone, opening up his messages. When he did, he discovered that sometime during the day, Jester had set up another group chat, this one consisting of just himself, Jester and Beau.

 

There was only one message in it so far, from Jester.

 

**Jester: hi fjord!!!!! we set this up so we can have a chat just for our apartment!!! :D :D**

 

Fjord blinked at it for a few seconds. The last group chat he’d been in had been for a group project he’d had in middle school, and that had been swiftly abandoned as soon as the project was complete. It was kind of nice to have notifications from someone messaging him.

 

**Fjord: Hey Jester, I’m coming back home now, see you soon**

**Jester: howd you go!!?!???!?!?!?**

**Fjord: I got the job! It’s night shift but it’s steady work**

**Jester: yay!!!!!!!!!**

**Beau: good job dude**

**Fjord: I start tomorrow night**

**Jester: bring back spray paint!!!!!!! :D**

**Fjord: I already told you I’m not buying spray paint when you get a job you can buy your own spray paint**

**Jester: >:| **

**Fjord: Why do you even need spray paint?**

**Beau: She wants to deface the cobalt soul archive with me**

**Fjord: … why**

**Beau: that is an excellent question my dude**

**Fjord: Am I going to get an answer**

**Beau: no**

 

Fjord closed his phone after that, shaking his head and wondering not for the first time what he’d gotten himself into. He’d already known Jester had what he could only describe as chaotic energy, almost some kind of subconscious urge to sow a little bit of chaos into everything she did. Beau, once she’d gotten over her initial wariness of them both, seemed to feed into it almost as much as Jester. Or at least found it amusing enough to go along with.

 

Together, Fjord could imagine them doing ridiculous things that hopefully wouldn’t get him into trouble. Hopefully.

 

He arrived home to find Beau lounging on the couch — his bed, but he’d already accepted he’d have to deal with people sitting on it until they got a new couch — and Jester with her head in the fridge, discussing what they were able to make for dinner with the ingredients they had.

 

Laying up against the wall was a giant corkboard with a wooden frame, absolutely laden down with notices and papers. Neither woman seemed at all concerned about it.

 

“Hey, Fjord! Congrats on the job!” Beau called out from the couch, pumping a fist in the air.

 

“Fjord!” Jester flung the fridge door closed, jogging up to him. “This is so great! You got a job and now it’s only a matter of time before Beau and I get a job!”

 

“Uh yeah. Can I ask what a…” Fjord squinted, reading the faded lettering at the top of the board. “… Community Noticeboard- Jester, what the hell is this doing here?”

 

Beau immediately began to snicker, while Jester waltzed over to the noticeboard, seeming very smug.

 

“Well we saw this noticeboard on our way home and it’s absolutely _full_ of fliers and ads and things! And we looked in lots of stores for jobs but we figured, what better way to up our chances than to make sure no one else can see any of these ads?” Jester was grinning.

 

Beau hadn’t moved from where she was draped across the lounge, but she was obviously enjoying herself. “So we stole it.”

 

“So we _stole_ it!” Jester repeated louder, throwing her arms out in a grand proud gesture. “I mean, it’s not like this is the only noticeboard in the whole city but at least no one else will see this one.”

 

Fjord stood there for a moment, the corner of his mouth twitching upwards. Scratch his previous thought, these two were _definitely_ going to get him into trouble. But at least they had flair while they did it.

 

He pulled out his phone, snapping a picture of Jester standing next to the corkboard. “There. When you two get arrested I’ll make sure to show the police this photo so they know exactly how proud of yourselves you are of this.”

 

He shook his head, striding down the hallway to the bathroom before the two women could see him finally fail to contain his grin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heheheheheehhhahehehehehheheh so what they've been in Zadash like two days and already that's theft of public property and conspiracy of vandalizing a public building 
> 
> anyway beaujester week has been giving me LIFE so uh... have a fjord chapter of my beaujester fic.... but YASHA!!!!!


	10. Jester 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Fjord arrives to Tarla's for a job interview, with the owner of establishment putting him to work to see what he can do. Fjord does his best, and meets one of the other employees, a tall woman with black and white hair named Yasha. She explains that she helps guard the store during the night shift, as well as running a small flower section of the store, selling flowers that she grows herself. Yasha also reveals she is from Xhorhas, having only been in Zadash for about eight months. He gets the job and leaves, telling Jester and Beau about his success. Once he gets home, he discovers Jester and Beau stole a community noticeboard while they were out, and he decides that it isn't worth dealing with.

A sharp ringtone buzzed into Jester’s ears, interrupting the sweet dream she’d been having and snapping her into wakefulness. Her eyes flickered open, first focusing on the continuing alarm and then on the steady, rhythmic snores from Beau, who was tangled up next to her, legs and arms linked and wrapped around her and their sleeping bag, undisturbed by the alarm.

 

Blearily, Jester blinked out at the window, where the moon was still high in the sky, albeit nothing more than a vague blob of light behind a cover of clouds. The room was cast in eerie shadows, and in the distance Jester could hear cars driving along the roads, few in number but their sound amplified by the comparative quiet of the rest of the city.

 

It wasn’t even _close_ to morning. Why was she awake?

 

Scowling, she turned to the culprit, her phone, which was still vibrating and ringing with the alarm. Squinting through the brightness when she turned it on, she read the note of the alarm she’d set.

 

_Stake-out!!! :D_

 

It took her a moment to remember what that meant, but when she did, all traces of irritation were washed away. Shutting off the alarm, she rubbed the sleep from the corners of her eyes before carefully extracting herself from Beau, who was surprisingly cuddly once she fell asleep.

 

The ground was cool on her feet as she slid onto the ground, Beau grumbling a little while wrapping their sleeping bag closer around her. The floorboards creaked as Jester tip-toed around the bedroom, opening up the closet that she and Beau had split in half.

 

At least, that had been the idea, but the only thing of Beau’s that was hanging up was the massive jacket she wore basically every day, with the rest of her clothes, as far as Jester knew, still stored inside her backpack.

 

Jester pulled out a soft, fluffy dressing gown and wrapped around it, picking up her phone before creeping out of the bedroom, already grinning in anticipation and tapping at her phone as she snuck down the hallway.

 

**Operation GHOST HUNTERS**

**Members: Jester, Nott**

 

**Jester: hi nott!!! are you awake???**

**Nott: HOLY SHIT YOURE AWAKE**

**Jester: yeah!!! were doing our stakeout right?**

**Nott: YEAH BUT I DIDNT THINK YOUD ACTUALLY DO IT HELL YES**

**Jester: well im awake!! im sneaking through my apartment beau and fjord are still asleep shhhhh**

 

By this point Jester had reached the living room, and she took a moment to make sure Fjord was actually asleep, which he was. He didn’t snore like Beau did, lying almost completely straight on his back, one arm falling loosely off the side of the couch.

 

**Nott: ILL UNLOCK THE DOOR CALEBS ASLEEP TOO**

 

Closing the apartment door behind her, Jester listened to the creaking and clicks of Caleb and Nott’s apartment being unlocked. When the door opened, Nott was standing there in thick sweatpants and a hoodie that looked two sizes too big on her, with the hood up. Her face lit up when she saw Jester there, waving, and she quickly reached out and grabbed her wrist, pulling her inside the apartment.

 

It was fairly dark inside, the only light coming from a subdued lamp over a desk, which cast the room in an orangey-gold glow. From a glance, the basic layout of the apartment was the same as Jester’s own, though it was far more full than hers. There was a big heavy-looking wooden bookshelf on the wall opposite the door half-filled with books, just to the right of the hallway that probably led to the bedroom and bathroom. An old desk that looked like it had been picked up from a sidewalk or dumpster somewhere was sitting in the same place Fjord’s couch would be, littered with loose papers and notes that Jester couldn’t read from that distance.

 

Next to the desk were a few cardboard boxes that seemed to be filled with all sorts of random objects, trinkets, baubles or pieces of cloth and ribbons hanging from over the sides, with no semblance of organisation about them. A circular table sat close to the kitchenette with two mismatched chairs, one tall, wooden and looking like it was about to fall apart at any given moment, the other shorter and made of faded plastic, with a few ratty pillows sitting on it. There were a few more books sitting on the table, closed and stacked on top of one another.

 

Their kitchenette had even more books sitting on the bench, and a cloth laid out with even more trinkets resting on it, though these ones seemed to be exclusively fancy cutlery, jewelry or coins, all silver or gold.

 

“Wow, these look pretty,” Jester whispered, picking up a silver band from the cloth and holding it up to the dim light she had.

 

“They’re my collections,” Nott said smugly, though she did pluck the ring from Jester’s grasp and laid it back out on the clothes. ”They’re very good.”

 

“What do you do with them?” Jester took a closer look at some of the trinkets on the bench, some of which actually looked rather valuable.

 

“Lots of things.” Nott rearranged some of the items with the care of a loving mother, before turning back to Jester, looking a little more solemn. “Now, it’s time to get down to business.”

 

Jester’s smile widened, though she held her hands together in faux-seriousness. “Yes. Very serious business.”

 

“We’re gonna catch that mystery person if it kills me.” Nott began rubbing her hands together gleefully, walking back towards the door to the apartment. She peeked outside before looking back in.

 

“So what are we gonna do?”

 

“I’ll be honest I thought you were kidding when you said you’d do a stakeout with me.” Nott chuckled. “Usually I just hide in the garbage chute with a knife and wait for the music to start.”

 

“Then what?”

 

“Well, once I tried to sneak onto the fire escape to look inside the windows and see who was in there but I saw a light on from the apartment downstairs so I ran away.” Nott stroked her chin thoughtfully, pacing back and forth a little bit.

 

“So let’s just do that again!” Jester crouched down a little to match Nott’s height, her conspiratorial grin never wavering. “We’ll wait for the music, and then we’ll sneak onto the fire escape to catch whoever it is! It’s foolproof!”

 

Nott hummed to herself for a moment, before nodding. “Okay, but we need to be prepared. I’m not getting murdered by any government spies tonight.”

 

Without any further kind of elaboration or evidence that the mysterious person was a government spy out to murder them, Nott promptly went and fetched two knives that were definitely not kitchen knives or anything else that could be reasonably explained. She held one out to Jester, who took it eagerly. Now it _really_ felt like a super secret mission, with super cool knives.

 

“Now what?” Jester held her knife with both hands, feeling very tempted to swing it around. Nott actually did swing her knife around a little bit, with far more skill and grace than Jester probably would have managed.

 

“We wait.”

 

So both women settled in the living room with ears pressed to the wall and knives in their hands, patiently waiting for the telltale classical music of their mystery person.

 

It took all of five minutes before Jester was ridiculously bored.

 

“What time even is it?”

 

“Twenty past three.”

 

“Oh my gods this is going to take forever.” Jester hissed, sliding down against the wall and pouting for about three seconds before she had an idea. “Hey, do you have a job? Because I’m trying to find a job.”

 

“I have a very important job,” Nott whispered, puffing her chest out a little bit before pausing. “I mean, it’s _technically_ not an actual job but it’s my job so it counts.”

 

Curious, Jester shifted around so she was facing Nott, still pressing the side of her face up against the wall so that she could claim she was totally listening. “Really? What kind of job is it?”

 

Nott didn’t answer for a moment, her nose crinkling up like she was trying to decide something, glancing around the room before her bright yellow eyes — which almost seemed to glow in the dark, which was SO cool — settled back on Jester again.

 

“My job is finding all my trinkets and things, and I sell them. I’m a collector.” She finally said. “I find them, and clean them all up, and sell a bunch of them.”

 

Jester oohed appreciatively, and Nott seemed to relax a little bit at that, sitting crosslegged on the floor.

 

“Where do you find all these things?” Jester had thought Nott and Caleb were interesting the second she laid eyes on them, and they only became more interesting the longer she spent with them. They were a lot like Beau and Fjord in some ways, with the clothes they were wearing that were obviously worn and practical, and eyes that squinted warily when she first started asking questions.

 

“Lots of places,” Nott said cryptically, before narrowing her eyes. “You’re not a cop, right? Legally, you have to tell me if you’re a cop.”

 

Wait, was that a rule? Jester shook her head, holding a hand over her heart. “I’m definitely not a cop, I promise!” She dropped her voice even lower, leaning forwards. “I’m actually technically like, a super big criminal, technically~”

 

Nott’s eyes widened, and her demeanour shifted from suspicious to a more energised curiosity almost instantly, matching Jester’s grin. “Oh yeah? Have you ever been to _jail_?”

 

Jester shook her head again, covering her mouth to stifle a giggle. “Have you?”

 

Nott nodded, and Jester gasped with the appropriate level of drama. “All my trinkets? Most of them I find, but some of them I steal.” Nott’s eyes shifted away, and she looked a little sheepish. “Sometimes I get caught, but I just can’t help it.”

 

“Oh, I know how that feels.” Jester folded her arms, and when Nott raised an eyebrow, she quickly nodded. “I do! I like to pull lots of pranks, but apparently rearranging things and drawing messages ‘messes up the organisation’ and ‘causes property damage’ or whatever.”

 

“That’s so dumb.”

 

“I know!”

 

They were both able to spend another few minutes griping about how society had far too many rules and could really use a few murals dedicated to the Traveller painted on the walls of every building she could find.

 

“What about Caleb?” Jester asked after a while, only now remembering that she was supposed to be quiet and lowering her voice to a whisper again. “Is _he_ a criminal too?”

 

“Well, we met in jail, so I assume so.” Nott shrugged.

 

“Does he steal things too?”

 

“No, he works in the library. He’s very smart you know, very talented.” Nott straightened up a little, puffing her chest out like she had when she was talking about her collections of trinkets. “He can do magic, you know, and he’s very good at it. He’s going to teach me, and he’s an excellent teacher I bet.”

 

“Really? I can do magic too!” Jester clapped her hands together, and Nott’s eyes widened, curiosity plain on her face. “It’s very special magic, the Traveller taught me.”

 

Jester winked, and Nott’s smile twitched. “What kind of magic? I bet it’s not as impressive as Caleb’s magic.”

 

Sticking her tongue out at the goblin, Jester thought for a moment before settling on a simple Thaumaturgy, making sparks and flashes of pink and purple light appear and then disappear in the air. “See? Magic. The Traveller says it used to be lots of tieflings could do that, but we forgot how, so he had to teach me. I would totally do cooler stuff but I don’t want to wake anyone up from how totally awesome it is.”

 

Nott looked suitably impressed. “I don’t think I’ve seen Caleb do _that_ before, but he can make lights of his own. And they can hover about in the air and give light for hours without us needing to turn the lights on. It saves _so_ much money on power.”

 

Jester opened her mouth to respond, but before she could a muffled sound caught her ear. Suddenly remembering what they were _actually_ supposed to be doing, she immediately pressed her head against the wall again, Nott perking up simultaneously and doing the same thing.

 

It was indistinct, but there was the unmistakable sound of classical music filtering through the wall. It was a melody Jester didn’t recognise, with long flowing piano notes, and it was low enough that if she hadn’t already been awake listening for it she probably wouldn’t have noticed, but it was exactly the sign they’d been waiting for.

 

“Hah!” Nott jumped up to her feet with shocking speed, darting towards the door. Jester scrambled to follow her, nearly slamming straight into the goblin when she paused in the doorway, leaning out into the hallway with narrowed eyes.

 

“Okay, let’s go.” Nott hissed, holding her knife in one hand and beginning to stride down the hallway, making long, slow steps that barely made a sound.

 

Sending a silent wish to the Traveller to not let the floor creak, Jester followed her new friend, her own knife held a little clumsily. They stalked down the hallway in silence, the classical music a little clearer now that they weren’t in Apartment A anymore. Jester found herself humming along quietly as they went. Whoever this mystery person/potential government spy was, they liked nice music. A bit slow for Jester’s tastes, but still nice.

 

Her heart was beating steadily in her chest, shivers of excitement running up and down her spine. It reminded her of times she used to sneak around the Chateau at nighttime, slipping into the kitchen to find a midnight snack, or trying to set up a harmless prank before anyone else woke up. Except this time, she was trying to solve a mystery, and she was accompanied by a friend!

 

When they got to the door of the apartment they paused, both women pressing their ears against the door. The music grew louder in Jester’s ear, and just in front of her, she heard Nott scoff.

 

“I _knew_ it wasn’t from the firbolg’s apartment.” She muttered.

 

Jester looked past the door towards the window at the end of the hallway, which was closed. Gingerly, she tiptoed towards it and carefully undid the latch. After a few moments, Nott appeared next to her, both of them lifting the window open as painfully slowly as they could, both cringing every time there was a squeak or creak from the old wooden frame.

 

But no one emerged from the apartment to catch and/or murder them, so they were able to fully open the window. Chilly night air blew in and Nott shuddered, pulling her hood further over her face before boosting herself up onto the windowsill. Jester just poked her head out, looking out and around in all directions.

 

The landscape of Zadash at nighttime was an entirely different atmosphere to daytime, with lights twinkling both near and far, the busy industrial sounds of cars and machines far more toned down, softer and almost more gentle. She could still hear distant pockets of noise, indistinct and stifled, but everything seemed so much gentler at night. The moons shined brightly above on a near cloudless night, the familiar blankets of stars a reassuring sight.

 

There was a light clank as Nott dropped onto the rickety fire escape, which probably only barely passed the minimum requirements to count as _safe_ , in that it had a railing and didn’t immediately collapse as soon as some weight was put on it. It stretched out along the side of the building a fair bit, with a tiny metal staircase seemingly leading up to the roof on one side, and on the other side stopping in a simple dead-end about halfway to the corner of the building.

 

What mattered was that there was a window before that stopping point, leading into Apartment D. A window that was currently wide open. Jester’s heart leaped, and she tenderly climbed out of the window herself, shuddering when her bare feet hit the freezing cold metal — she was great with the cold but she wasn’t immune — and edging along the wall with Nott as they made their way towards the window.

 

She crouched down as she approached, letting Nott take the lead. Now hiding underneath the windowsill, they both looked at each other, nervous grins on their faces before nodding and poking their heads up, hoping and praying that whoever it was wasn’t looking out the window right at that moment.

 

They were both in luck, and not in luck at all. Because the room they looked into was empty. Empty of people, that is. It was ridiculously full of what seemed like hundreds of other things. Jester couldn’t even see the opposite wall since a giant multicoloured and patterned flag or cloth or something hung from it. More flags and banners hung from the other walls too, all of them different and none of them matching in the slightest. Jester could see a fairly plush looking couch and a small, extremely dusty TV sitting on a wooden stand, a fluffy rug resting in between the TV and the couch.

 

At least a dozen potted plants were scattered in corners or on top of tables, all bright and healthy-looking. The lights were on in the living room, and Jester could see light from where a hallway light would be, assuming this apartment had the same layout as hers. It seemed mostly similar but smaller, though that may have been because of the far larger number of objects and furniture held within. A radio sat in front of one of the plants, and it was from here the classical music seemed to come from.

 

“I don’t see anyone,” Jester whispered, daring to raise her head a little higher to get a better look. Nott didn’t respond, just holding up her knife and looking like she was considering going inside the apartment.

 

But before they could do anything else, they heard footsteps.

 

In an instant they both ducked down again, so quickly Jester couldn’t help her foot slipping, catching on part of the metal railing with a clang that echoed in the air, unfortunately _right_ in a pause between songs. Inhaling sharply, a green, dry-skinned hand whipped out and covered her mouth before she could gasp, both of them freezing.

 

A moment passed.

 

Then another.

 

Jester felt like her heart had stopped beating, waiting for _something_ to happen.

 

Then, they heard more footsteps. Coming towards the window.

 

Without thinking beyond the need to _not_ get caught outside a strangers window at nearly four in the morning, both of them scrambled, throwing just abut all semblance of stealth to the wind and racing to the window that led back to the hallway. They bolted down it and practically threw themselves back into Nott’s apartment.

 

Jester shut the door as quickly and quietly as she could, before sliding down to the ground in front of it, covering her mouth with one hand and dropping her knife onto the ground to hold the other over her mouth as well. She felt like giggling madly, as Nott frantically turned off the lamp that had been on, plunging them into near-complete darkness.

 

They sat without saying a word for a full minute before they decided they were _probably_ safe.

 

“Oh my gods that was crazy!” Jester stage-whispered, letting a few giddy giggles escape before she covered her mouth again.

 

“I was _right!”_ Nott had thrown her hood off, revealing her long hair and big ears that were twitching like mad, still heavily on alert. “There _is_ someone in there!”

 

“They nearly caught us!”

 

“Yeah. Holy fuck.” Nott sat on the ground, running a hand through her hair. Jester giggled some more, stifling it through her hands, shoulders shaking. That had been, besides a brief moment in which she thought they were going to get caught, actually very fun.

 

After a few moments, Nott began to giggle as well, until both of them were just vibrating and muffling laughter as much as they could. The tension of the moment soon drifted away, the excitement and nervous energy burning up until they were left sitting on the floor quietly contemplating what had just happened.

 

Jester glanced around the apartment, then up at the door.

 

“So… how long til you think it’s safe to go back to my apartment?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> heeyyyyyyyy guyyyyyyyys wassssupppp so first of all: Beaujester week was fukin lit we're amazing good work team high-fives all around  
> second of all: im sick right now lmao which is Super Fun  
> third of all: the wifi router in my house died so im using my wifi hotspot to upload this yeet 
> 
> anyway TEAM DETECTIVE POWER YEET the mystery continues


	11. Beau 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Jester goes on an early morning stakeout of Apartment D with Nott, determined to find out who the mystery classical-music-listening person in Apartment D is. Nott shows her some parts of her and Caleb's apartment, telling her a little about her 'job' while they waited, also revealing that Caleb can do magic. They sneak out onto the fire escape and peer into the apartment, seeing that it is very gaudily decorated but with no clue as to who was in there. They panic and flee when they hear footsteps, racing back to Nott's apartment.

It had been nearly two weeks since Beau had first run into Jester and Fjord, unintentionally setting herself on a path that somehow led her to sharing an apartment in Zadash. Somehow she hadn’t been kicked out yet and even though a voice in her head continued to chant that it was an inevitability, she found herself hoping that perhaps this time would be different to the norm.

 

But things could never be that easy, and Beau knew that it was always a fine line between ‘definitely friends’ and ‘burden that we’d be better off without’. As long as she had something to offer the group, she’d be fine, and right now what she had to offer was knowledge about the Empire (which could probably be found through the internet if Jester and Fjord really wanted to know) and a theoretical ability to get a job and bring in money to help pay the bills.

 

Unfortunately, she hadn’t gotten a job yet. Fjord had gotten all of one paycheck so far from his new job, and while it was certainly better than nothing, it wouldn’t be enough. Jester had managed to get a job as a waitress at some café, only to lose it barely a day later since the manager apparently hadn’t appreciated Jester taking it upon herself to redesign the menu by subtly drawing dicks all over them.

 

Still, at least Jester had demonstrated that she _could_ get a job, even if she maybe wasn’t the best at keeping it. Beau had had no such luck, and with each passing day, she grew more frustrated about it.

 

Neither Fjord nor Jester actually said anything about Beau’s place in the apartment being in danger, but she was almost certain it was. If she couldn’t meaningfully contribute, then what was the point in keeping her around? So she went out to stores, put on her best smile no matter how much it made her face hurt, and tried to act like a person who was happy for more than thirty seconds at a time.

 

So far it hadn’t worked.

 

“Hey Jester, has your mother mentioned anything about sending more money?” Fjord asked one afternoon, squinting down at a notebook that had been designated as their ‘How Fucked Are We Financially’ book.

 

Jester squirmed uncomfortably on the couch, where she was sitting next to Beau, both of them having been making lists of all the businesses they’d given their names to versus ones they hadn’t. “Welllll, she says she’d really like to, but they’ve been keeping a really close eye on her, and she doesn’t want to risk her sending any money that leads like… police to us.”

 

Fjord nodded, the answer the same since the last time he’d asked a few days ago. “Right, right, that’s fine. We don’t want her putting herself in danger or anything.”

 

He did not sound entirely pleased, and Beau and Jester exchanged a look. “We’re okay, right?” Jester winced even as she asked the question, and Beau tried to lean further back into the couch as if she might disappear into it if she tried hard enough.

 

“Money wise? My paycheck will be enough to cover nearly all the rent. Which still leaves us with food bills, wifi, all the things we still need to buy, public transport…” He trailed off, dropping the notebook onto the table. “We won’t be kicked out of the apartment, at least.”

 

“There’s got to be a job _somewhere_.” Jester frowned and folded her arms. “Are you _sure_ your job doesn’t need anyone else?”

 

Fjord shook his head. “I asked, but there’s not a chance unless one of the others quits or gets fired. The store just isn’t big enough to justify more employees. Tarla said they’d keep an ear out for any openings around, but there are no guarantees for that either.”

 

“So what I’m hearing is that we need to get one of your coworkers fired.” Beau piped up, intending for it to be a joke but probably coming off a lot more malicious than she’d hoped. Jester chuckled at least, while Fjord just shook his head again, furrowing his brow.

 

He sighed, pulling out his phone. “Maybe Caleb or Nott have an idea. They’ve lived here longer than us.”

 

Jester perked up at that, pulling out her phone and immediately beginning to tap furiously. She’d seemed to become fast friends with Nott, and Caleb was awkward but pleasant whenever he was around, which seemed to be rarely. Beau had barely interacted with either of them past their first meeting, and still considered them highly suspect, while Fjord steered clear on account of Frumpkin, since he was apparently allergic. Beau thought he found them suspicious too.

 

But they still had the group chat with both neighbours in it, which was mostly used by Jester and Nott coordinating stakeouts when they forgot to stick to the chat that was just the two of them. So Beau pulled out her phone and checked the chat, to see if Nott and Caleb truly did have any insights.

 

**Floor Nein! ^_^ :D <3 >:) **

**Members: Beau, Caleb, Fjord, Jester, Nott**

 

**Jester: hey nott and caleb!!! we wanted to know if u guys have any ideas of how to get jobs because me and beau have had like ZERO luck and we need lots of money to like??? live???**

**Nott: HLD ON IM IN AN ALLYWAY**

**Beau: what the hell are you doing in an alleyway**

 

There was a short period of time in which there was no response, and Beau glanced up at the others.

 

“I actually wanna know what she’s doing in an alleyway. Cause if she’s dealing drugs, that’s totally a way to get money.” Beau pointed out.

 

Both Fjord and Jester seemed to seriously consider that possibility, but before either could answer, their phones buzzed with Nott’s response.

 

**Nott: K FRST ITS NONE OF UR BISNESS AND SECOND CALEB WORKS AT THE LIBRAY SO HE COULD PRBLY MAYBE HELP**

**Beau: are you dealing drugs in the alleyway**

**Nott: NO FUCK U**

 

“She’s totally dealing drugs.” Beau stage-whispered. Fjord grunted an acknowledgment while Jester grinned, eyes twinkling like she knew something Beau didn’t. She probably did, considering the time she and Nott had already spent together.

 

**Fjord: Okay, so where’s Caleb? Is he busy right now?**

**Nott: YE HES AT WORK BUT HE GETS OFF SOON**

**Fjord: Alright then, thanks very much**

**Jester: Are we gonna hunt down mystery person again tonight????**

**Nott: NAH IVE GOT SOME BISINESS TO DEAL WTH BUT TOMORRW DEFINITLY!**

**Jester: yessssssss**

**Beau: why do you always type in caps**

**Nott: MY PHONE IS FUCKED UP OKAY**

 

“Okay, first of all, you’ve got to take me on one of these stakeouts sometime cause it seems like you and Nott have way too much fun without me,” Beau said, holding up a finger and then another as she continued. “Secondly, what business is she talking about?”

 

“She’s a saleswoman,” Jester said, sticking her nose up in the air a little. “She sells things to get money.”

 

Beau nodded slowly, a few pieces slotting into place. “Ah, so she’s a scavenger.”

 

“Not a lot of places hire goblins, you know.” Jester frowned a little, and Beau quickly held up her hands, palms facing out.

 

“Hey, I’m not knocking her. You gotta do what you gotta do.” She quickly shrugged, tensing up and mentally preparing to further defend herself, but Jester visibly relaxed, her head swivelling towards Fjord and already moving on.

 

“Anyway, there has to be a way to help us get a job easier. You got yours so quickly!”

 

“I think that was a bit of dumb luck and being in the right place at the right time.” Fjord said. “But what have you two been doing when you talk to owners and managers and such?”

 

“Oh! I’ve been _very_ polite, like-” Jester quickly stood up, dusting down her dress and adjusting her posture to be almost ridiculously perfect. “Good _morning_ sir, my name is Jester and I would like to let you know that I am looking for a job. I’m _very_ employable because I am neat and punctual and a very fast learner.”

 

Fjord nodded slowly as she spoke, while Beau lounged on the couch and waited for her to finish. Jester listed off a few more positive and flowery attributes of herself before finishing with a wink and a curtsey. “How was that?”

 

“Well, that seems fine. I’m pretty sure your biggest problem is refraining from property damage once you’ve _got_ the job.” Fjord leaned back in his chair and folded his arms, and Jester huffed.

 

“Is it really damage if I’m improving it?”

 

“According to the law, yes.”

 

“The law is stupid.”

 

Beau snorted, and Fjord turned his attention to her. “What about you, Beau?”

 

After a few moments of silence indicated that Fjord expected her to do a similar sort of practise that Jester had just demonstrated, Beau got to her feet, folding her arms.

 

“What, do I pretend you’re the manager of some place?” She asked Fjord, her gaze shifting over to Jester and trying to remember the general structure she’d used for her spiel.

 

“Yeah, just do what you’ve been doing so far.”

 

“Alright then.” She cleared her throat. “Hi, I’m Beau, do you have a job opening, I’m looking for a job.”

 

There was a short pause, and Beau stiffened up even more under the gazes of both Jester and Fjord, her face dropping into a scowl. “What? It’s straight to the point!”

 

“Okay, I think I’m getting kind of an idea of where your problem might be.” Fjord stood up, beginning to walk towards her. Bristling at the statement, Beau took an unconscious step back, even though in her head she was fully aware that he was probably right.

 

“I don’t have a problem,” She said, hesitating for a moment before adding a half-hearted, “Fuck you.”

 

Fjord was unfazed, stopping short a few feet in front of her. “Beau, if you want to get hired you need to not scare everyone away.”

 

“I do _not_ -” Her words died in her throat, and she stared down at the ground, nails digging into her arms. “It’s not my fault everything is shitty all the time.”

 

“Maybe so, but you need to be able to pretend the world isn’t shitty.” Fjord seemed sympathetic, a small, easy smile on his face. “Luckily for you, I’ve had lifetimes practise at appearing non-threatening.”

 

“There’s lots of not-shitty things in the world!” Jester bounced up next to Fjord, clapping her hands together. “Like rainbows and cupcakes and me and you guys and flowers and my mum and the Traveller-”

 

“The easiest way to seem friendly is with a smile.” Fjord’s smile widened as if to demonstrate, not showing any teeth but still appearing more welcoming than Beau had probably ever appeared in the past few years combined. Jester’s encouraging smile was even wider, leaning on Fjord and watching her.

 

Beau hadn’t been good at smiling on command since she was about six, and that had resulted in lots of stern admonishments and ruined family pictures, which hadn’t helped encourage her to smile any better. She _tried_ to do it now but based on the way that Jester and Fjord’s faces froze, just for a split second, she doubted it was anywhere close to the realm of acceptable in regular society. The corners of her mouth felt tight and her face felt stiff, and she only held it for a second before dropping it, slumping back down onto the couch.

 

“It’s a start.” Fjord scratched the back of his neck, before taking the set next to her while Jester perched on the armrest on his other side. “Try pushing your tongue to the roof of your mouth, that might help.”

 

For a few seconds Beau didn’t do anything. How was Fjord going to accomplish what years of tutors reprimanding her and parents lecturing her and an entire course on etiquette failed to teach her? But the tone in Fjord’s voice was genuine in a way that her tutors and parents never had been like he truly was just trying to help her, not mold her to fit whatever carefully planned picture or arrangement they had designed.

 

So she tried it. For about ten minutes Fjord tried to help her figure out how to smile on purpose in a way that didn’t give him or Jester the creeps before they were interrupted by notifications from the group chat.

 

“It’s Caleb!” Jester said, checking the chat for them all. “He says he might be able to help, and right now he’s typing something very long.”

 

“Alright, I think we can leave that there then.” Fjord clapped Beau on the back. “Good effort.”

 

Beau straightened up a little, surprised to find she didn’t detect even a hint of condescension, an inkling of Fjord chuckling behind her back. “Thanks. I think I was doing pretty good by the end of it.”

 

“You’ve definitely got it when it happens naturally.” Fjord said, pointing vaguely at her face. “It’s just a matter of getting the hang of doing it even when you _don’t_ feel happy.”

 

“Fake it til you make it, huh?”

 

“Exactly. But I can help.” Fjord puffed up his chest a little, and Beau snickered, even if inwardly, the idea of having someone to help her figure out how to come off as less of a… well, a bitch to people was a welcome one.

 

“Okay, Caleb says that he’s not sure about anywhere else, but there’s openings at the library. It’s not the _best_ pay, but it’s alright.” Jester frowned a little as she read out the texts, glancing up at Beau, who matched the expression.

 

Fjord looked between the both of them. “Alright, what am I missing here?”

 

“Well, I don’t think I’d be very good at a library.” Jester started, folding her arms and tapping her fingers.

 

“Why not?”

 

“A whole building full of books that are carefully and specifically organised?” Beau raised an eyebrow. “She spent two minutes in a bookstore and managed to rearrange an entire shelf to spell out curse words with the authors' initials.”

 

“Ah. I see.” Fjord winced, while Jester began tapping away on her phone. “Probably best to keep you away from the library then. What about you, Beau?”

 

“Talk on the chat guys, we can talk about it with Caleb,” Jester said, and Beau opened her phone to find that Jester had more or less copied out the reason for Jester being a poor fit to work in the library into the chat.

 

**Jester: basically its a recipe for disaster. Its just too easy of a prank for me to resist**

**Caleb: Ja, I would not advise you rearranging the books. At all. Please.**

**Jester: :/ whats the fun of having all the books then**

**Caleb: Reading them.**

**Beau: boo**

**Caleb: What about you Beauregard? I can vouch for you.**

**Beau: i dunno**

 

“What’s your problem with the library?” Fjord raised an eyebrow, looking right at her.

 

Beau squirmed uncomfortably on the couch. “It’s not the library that’s the problem, it’s the Cobalt Soul that’s attached to it.”

 

“The Cobalt Soul?” Fjord’s eyes widened a little bit. “Oh right, you’ve got something against them. You never explained what that was about.”

 

“I didn’t want to.” Beau scowled, averting her gaze. It would’ve been nice to be able to avoid the Cobalt Soul forever.

 

But she needed a job. She needed to prove her usefulness, and she needed to do it fast. Ignoring a possible opportunity for seemingly no reason wouldn’t help her at all.

 

“I got sent to one of their schools for fuck-ups, right?” She looked at Fjord and Jester, only to see their faces blank. “They don’t have any of those on the Coast? Huh.”

 

She rubbed circles on the armchair of the couch, pulling her knees up to her chest and pointedly looking away. “Well, it doesn’t matter. It was a stupid boarding school but I broke approximately every rule they had, ran away about six times before I finally turned eighteen and they couldn’t legally chase after me again, and they’re so fucking obsessed with knowing everything about everyone that if I showed up in one of their buildings again they’d probably have my arrest warrant printed out before I can take a step.”

 

Fjord and Jester said nothing in response, and Beau didn’t hear anything but the sound of her own breathing and the tapping of fingers on a screen. Her phone vibrated with a new message, and, without looking at either of her roommates, Beau looked at the group chat again.

 

**Jester: is the cobalt soul attached to the library like super involved with it????**

**Caleb: The Cobalt Soul? Ah, sort of. They technically sponsor the library, but they are usually more occupied with their own business.**

**Jester: ok ok what if lets say i didnt want the cobalt soul to know i was working in the library**

**Caleb: Well you can always register your employment under a false name.**

**Fjord: How does that work?**

**Caleb: As long as you don’t draw attention to yourself, the Cobalt Soul rarely has reason to interfere with random citizens. They tend to enter and exit through the back entrance anyway.**

**Jester: how come?????**

**Beau: because they’re obsessed with secrecy and being mysterrriiooussss**

**Caleb: Essentially.**

**Fjord: Hold up, how do you know about registering employment under a false name?**

**Caleb: You just enter a false name into the system, it’s not difficult.**

**Fjord: Isn’t it illegal?**

**Caleb: Aren’t you an unregistered magic user? That is also illegal.**

**Fjord: HOW DO YOU KNOW ABOUT THAT**

**Caleb: Nott told me.**

**Fjord: HOW DID NOTT KNOW ABOUT THAT**

**Jester: i maaaaaaay have told her???? sorry fjord**

**Beau: its fine we’re all criminals here**

**Fjord: Well you’re not WRONG but that doesn’t mean you can go telling EVERYONE**

 

Fjord sighed very dramatically, which only made Beau and Jester snicker harder. Beau leaned further back into the couch, rereading what Caleb had said about the Cobalt Soul. It had been six years since she’d laid eyes on any of those assholes at the Institute, surely they wouldn’t recognise her now even if they were by some chance working at the Archive.

 

Plus, if she used a fake name like Caleb suggested and kept her head down, she probably wouldn’t even ping on their radar. If she could do anything, it was keeping her head down. Usually. Sometimes. Occasionally. When it counts.

 

She needed a job. Caleb had said he would vouch for her, so maybe that would be enough. Then she’d get an income and everything would be fine. Then… well, she wasn’t sure what came after that. She'd figure that out, but at least she’d have a place in the apartment to figure it out in.

 

**Beau: okay i can work at the library**

**Caleb: Oh good. Have you ever worked at one before?**

**Beau: technically yes**

**Caleb: That is even better. Would you like to come with me tomorrow? My shift starts at 10am.**

**Beau: sounds great**

 

There was a short pause, and Beau frowned, feeling like she was missing something.

 

**Beau: thanks**

 

There. With that completed, she promptly shut off her phone, running a hand through her hair. Next to her, Fjord breathed a sigh of relief.

 

“Well, that’s some good news. Gives us some wriggle room.” He looked down at his phone. “Okay, I better get some dinner started before I’ve got to head out. Are we feeling cold leftover spaghetti or cold leftover pizza?”

 

“Pizza!” Jester called out, before quickly taking Fjord’s vacated seat on the couch next to Beau. “So Beau, you went to a boarding school? Was it really bad and that’s why you don’t like the Cobalt Soul?”

 

Scoffing, Beau leaned her head back, tilting it in Jester’s direction to see the tiefling look at her earnestly.

 

“It was… a lot of things. Might’ve been fun if the people running it weren’t such sticks in the mud.” She didn’t feel like going into great detail about the Cobalt Soul Institute, affectionately known as ‘The School For Fucked Up Kids With Authority Issues’. At least to her anyway.

 

But Jester sat, listening quietly and with such obvious interest that Beau couldn’t help but throw in a little bit of information. “It had a pretty good martial arts program though.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> nott has frequent typos because she types fast, doesnt edit, and her phone is Fucked Up 
> 
> also friendship!!! helping!!! support!!! everyone is a criminal!!! yay!!!!


	12. Beau 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau is feeling the pressure to get a job, worried about her place in the apartment if she can't contribute. Jester is also struggling to hold down the jobs she does manage to get, so Fjord suggests asking Caleb and Nott for advice. While waiting for responses, Fjord gets the ladies to run through how they've been trying to get jobs, deciding that Jester's biggest problem is a lack of experience and disregard for the law, while Beau is generally just a bit abrasive. He tries to give her some tips to appear more personable before Caleb responds, telling them that the library he works at could always use more staff. Beau is reluctant due to the presence of the Cobalt Soul connected to the library, revealing that she had been sent to (and run away from at every opportunity) a boarding school run by the organisation, but Caleb reassures her that they generally stick to their own business, so she agrees to give it a shot.

Once again standing on the steps of The Valley Library and Archive of the Cobalt Soul, Beau felt just as inclined to stay outside as she had the first time while she and Jester had been exploring the city and searching for jobs.

 

But right now, she didn’t have the luxury of avoiding it anymore. Caleb was accompanying her, or more technically, she was accompanying him to his job, where he would see about getting her a job there.

 

With Caleb on her side, she would hopefully be able to get past all the usual trappings of having to make a good first impression by herself, and the fact that she didn’t have any identification or papers that wouldn’t lead back to an arrest warrant.

 

But first, she had to get in the door.

 

It’ll be fine, she told herself. No one would recognise her and she’d register under the fake name she had come up with, and then she’d get an income, wouldn’t get kicked out of the apartment and everything would be fine.

 

She believed that for maybe two seconds before she started coming up with backup plans. There was an alleyway behind her that looked like a nice escape route.

 

“Are you coming in?” Caleb’s voice interrupted her while she was halfway through calculating whether the amount of money she had on her person (very little) was enough to get her bus tickets to Port Zoon.

 

Caleb was standing a few feet in front of her, the bottom half of his face buried in an old scarf and his hands tucked inside the pockets of his long coat. He was looking at her with a fairly neutral expression, but Beau couldn’t help but scrutinise it for signs of judgment. There was always judgment, eventually.

 

“Yeah. I’m coming.” She forced her feet to move, falling in behind Caleb as he pushed open the door into the library, crisp morning air giving way to a stuffier atmosphere.

 

The library was pretty high-tech, for a library. An electronic search directory sat just past security stands that presumably detected book barcodes as someone entered or left. Everything was neat and organised, with a cool colour palette of silvers, greys and blues and earthy undertones on benches and bookshelves. Paintings and manuscripts hung on the walls, sometimes enclosed inside glass containers, other times open to the air. It reminded her of the library at the Institute, but it seemed a bit warmer, a bit more... loved, like the people who were in there actually enjoyed being there and weren't considering throwing chairs at the windows to try and escape. Or maybe that had just been her.

 

There were very few people inside, mostly alone and seemingly just browsing. Behind the front counter for the library was a middle-aged half-elven man with bronze skin and black hair, who looked up as they walked in.

 

“Ah Caleb, for a moment there I thought you might be four minutes early rather than five. I was about to call to see if you were ill.” The man chuckled to himself, and Caleb smiled awkwardly, breezing through the security sensors. Beau followed Caleb through the sensors and around the desk, at which point the man took proper notice of her. “And who is this?”

 

“This is an… acquaintance. She’s looking for work, and seemed interested in the openings we have here.” Caleb gestured vaguely towards her, while Beau looked around, mentally cataloguing everything she saw before Caleb continued talking, recapturing her attention. “This is my superior, Professor Bilynn.”

 

“Professor? What are you a professor of?” Beau tilted her head, and the Professor chuckled again.

 

“Nothing exciting I’m afraid. Well, I consider Library Science to be exciting, but not many others do.” He stood up, looking very much like possibly the most stereotypical professor ever, with a sweater vest and clip-on bowtie and thinning hair. He held out a hand to Beau, which she took, trying to seem as natural as possible. “And what’s your name?”

 

“Bo.” She said automatically. Since Beau was already a nickname, they’d figured for her fake name she’d just use it but spelled differently, so that she wouldn’t have to get used to answering to a fake first name. “Bo Gagnon.”

 

“A pleasure to meet you.” Professor Bilynn said, sitting back down and opening a desk drawer. “So you’d like to work at our great library? Do you have any experience or qualifications?”

 

“I worked at a library back home. Shelving, circulation, organisation, the whole shebang.” Worked wasn’t quite the correct word for it, but Beau knew that saying ‘I was forced to volunteer at a library in a stupid Institute in the middle of nowhere’ wouldn’t exactly fly.

 

“Wonderful. Do you have any identification?”

 

“I’m actually new in the city. I-uh- I don’t have any ID or anything yet.” Beau scratched the back of her neck, glancing at Caleb to try and gauge how she was doing. He was not very helpful.

 

“None at all?”

 

Shit, fuck, she had to come up with something. “I was robbed.”

 

Technically that was true. She _had_ been robbed in the past. Usually, she chased after the robbers and beat them up and took back her stuff, but he didn’t need to know that.

 

“I am willing to vouch for her,” Caleb spoke up, pausing for a moment before continuing. “We, uh, we do need more staff.”

 

“That we do.” Professor Bilynn shook his head lightly, before brightening up and looking at Beau again. “Well, Miss Gagnon, you’re in luck. For today, you can assist Caleb in his work, and as long as you don’t set anything on fire, we’ll call that your training and you’ve got the job. Once you get new documents, you can send them to me for filing and we’ll be able to sort out anything else that needs to be sorted.”

 

Breathing a sigh of relief, Beau promised to get on to getting that identification that she would probably have to try and forge herself, before following Caleb to another section of the library.

 

“Thanks, dude,” Beau said, once they were far enough away that there was no one to possible overhear.

 

“It is not a problem,” Caleb said. He was still wearing his massive coat even though they were inside, though he had taken off his scarf when he’d shown Beau a place she could store her jacket and any other personal belongings while she was here. “We _do_ need more staff. We are irritatingly understaffed for a government institute.”

 

“Right.” Beau murmured, watching as Caleb opened a box, filled with books that had been recently returned. He passed a stack of them to Beau before grabbing one himself. That at least answered one question Beau had had about him, why he would bother sticking his neck out to help Beau get a job. Nott’s apparent budding friendship with Jester probably also had something to do with it, but the library needing staff desperately enough to not be too worried about missing paperwork was a reason that sat more comfortably with her.

 

She followed him around for a few more hours while they put away books, rearranged shelves that had been messed up by browsers, and picked up books that had been left out by readers too lazy to put them back themselves.

 

Caleb seemed quite relaxed in the library despite having to deal with her following him around and asking for an explanation on every procedure and policy that she wasn’t already familiar with. She quickly realised that this was because he was a total _nerd_ who wasn’t afraid to openly admit that he spent most of his time reading books and enjoyed it.

 

Now, it was one thing to be a nerd, but it was another entirely to admit it. After half-listening to Caleb ramble on for twenty minutes comparing abjuration and evocation magic (sparked entirely by Beau offhandedly mentioning that she sometimes couldn’t remember the difference between the two) she realised he wasn’t just a nerd, he was a _magical_ nerd.

 

“You know a lot about magic for a librarian.” Beau finally said, once Caleb paused to take a break.

 

“Well, I do magic,” Caleb replied smoothly. “It is expected to know a lot about it.”

 

Beau raised an eyebrow. “You a wizard of some kind?”

 

“Ja, that is the word for it.” It was a statement, vague enough to leave Beau feeling like she hadn’t really gotten any answers, but direct enough that it didn’t give her much room to continue the conversation either.

 

But she was going to try anyway.

 

“So you’re a proper wizard, but you’re living in a shitty apartment on the wrong side of town?”

 

“Yes.”

 

Beau waited to see if Caleb would elaborate, the way some people would when faced with an ever stretching silence. But he didn’t, simply facing away from Beau and continuing on with his work.

 

Frowning, Beau dropped the conversation, deciding it probably wouldn’t be a good idea to piss off the guy who’d just gotten her a job.

 

She could always ask Jester if Nott had said anything about Caleb and magic and what the hell was his deal in general later. That was probably a far more reliable method of information gathering anyway. Or she could go to one of their stakeouts, and ask Nott directly. Hmm, now that was an idea.

 

A few more hours passed, and Beau felt herself relax into the job, and Caleb started getting her to do things in other sections of the library by herself while he handled something else. This library, bigger and far more open to the public than the last one she’d been forced to work at, was also busier, and she found herself with far less free time than she thought she’d get.

 

Even besides putting books away there always seemed to be something to organise, accounts to check and emails to send to patrons with late or unreturned books. She was at least vaguely familiar with most of the processes and whatever she wasn’t she was able to pick up fairly quickly so it wasn’t overwhelming, but it was a little surprising.

 

By the time early evening began to roll around, work began to slow down a bit as the bulk of patrons finished up for the day, leaving mostly students who could handle themselves and more often than not didn’t want to be disturbed.

 

Professor Bilynn seemed satisfied by the end of Caleb’s shift, telling Beau that she was welcome to return tomorrow, where they would be able to sort out all the details of her own work schedule, wage, and all the other fun details.

 

She collected her jacket, feeling relieved at the job problem now being mostly solved, ready to leave. Caleb walked up to her, picking up his scarf and wrapping it around himself again, having not taken his coat off even once for the entire day, despite the library actually being quite warm, the perfect escape from the steadily dropping temperature outside as winter grew closer.

 

“How do not overheat in that?” She asked, finding herself walking alongside him as they left the library.

 

Caleb shrugged, adjusting his scarf a little bit more. “I don’t like the cold.”

 

It was, as most answers Caleb seemed to give to questions at all related to himself, simple, direct and not at all informative. It was kind of annoying actually, the way he seemed so skilled at answering questions without getting at what Beau really wanted to know, which was the _why_.

 

On the other hand, maybe Caleb just honestly didn’t like the cold. “Fair enough, I guess.”

 

They walked together only a short while longer before Beau turned right while he went left, back towards the Leaky Tap Apartments. He looked over at her when she did, one eyebrow raised ever so slightly in question but never asking her where she was going, which suited her perfectly.

 

She didn’t really have a plan, to be honest. She’d explored with Jester while they’d been looking around for jobs, but that had been at the Pentamarket and shopping side streets where everything had been nice and neat and safe. The parts of town that they’d put on postcards and travel websites to convince tourists to come visit.

 

Beau wanted to explore the different sides of the city. Figure out exactly what kind of things she might end up having to deal with, just in case she attracted trouble. Which she always did.

 

The streets were bathed in the fading evening light as she walked down them, hands in her pockets and eyes alert. Lights began to flicker on, the nightlife steadily waking up as shifts changed and some people began to take to the streets while others went home.

 

She spent her time wandering, pausing every now and then to look at a shop or peek at the menu of a restaurant as if she were simply looking for somewhere to grab some dinner. She soon left the fancier streets behind, drifting through the Interstead Sprawl into more middle of the road business, which were a bit rowdier than the posher establishments that were close to the library.

 

She eventually found herself on a street that seemed to have three different pubs in very close proximity, which Beau knew could be a breeding ground for chaos and trouble. Even better, the street was just seedy enough that the police presence was probably minimal unless something drastic happened like a full-on brawl in the middle of the streets. Even then, fifty fifty on them actually doing anything useful.

 

The first pub she peeked in was small and not particularly interesting, but as she moved on to investigate (read: snoop around) the other two, movement in the alley next to the pub caught her eye. She continued past the alleyway before stopping and peeking around the corner again, seeing a small clump of people gathered around.

 

All of them were wearing jackets or hoodies and a good chunk of them had backpacks held in the hands, pulling out small packages and exchanging them amongst one another. Beau saw exchanged handshakes, firm nods, and tense snickers, before one of the figures waved a dismissive hand, pushing a decrepit but ordinary-looking crate out of the way to reveal a small wooden door, short enough that she would have to duck to fit underneath.

 

She watched the figure disappear through the secret door, as practically every alarm bell Beau had in her head went off at once. Oh, that was _interesting_.

 

Hidden doors? Shady dealings? That stunk of secret illegal hideouts, and if there was one thing Beau liked, it was secret illegal hideouts.

 

The other figures remaining outside all began to turn around to head outside the alleyway, and Beau immediately spun around, jogging a few feet away before the figures could exit the alley and then pulling out her phone, holding it up to her ear and beginning a fake conversation, leaning against a wall as casually as she could.

 

“-Hey Steph… Yeah, I know, I was just checking out the bars.” While pretending to listen to someone over the phone, she looked towards the alleyway from the corner of her eyes, seeing the figures exit.

 

There were about four or five of them, mostly human with a halfling mixed in, and they all patted each other on the back like friends before splitting apart into two groups, one heading away and the other heading towards Beau.

 

“I’ll be coming home soon…” Beau continued, looking upwards and scowling, not looking directly at the group that was coming her way as they passed her. “Yes, I _know_ I’m late, I’m sorry.”

 

They hardly gave her a second glance as they passed, walking just quickly enough for Beau to recognise it as someone who wanted to leave an area as quickly as possible without arousing suspicion. “… Yes, I know the way… It’s fine…”

 

The group turned another corner, and Beau pulled her phone away from her ear, glancing back towards the alleyway.

 

When she peered in again, the crate had been pushed back into the spot it had been in before, but she hadn’t noticed any of the group left outside doing so. She might’ve just missed it, or there could be some kind of mechanism or even magic. If it was the latter, that meant this was more sophisticated than she initially thought.

 

She walked past the alleyway again, glancing around to make sure no one was looking her way. Then she walked down the street past the pub, this time paying more attention to the weathered sign that hung at the front, at the small interior that was so obviously a front for something sinister now that she’d seen that alleyway dealing.

 

The Evening Nip. Hmm.

 

Beginning the trek back towards the Leaky Tap, Beau opened up her phone to write down the name of the pub, along with the street it was on.

 

There were secrets hidden in that pub. Definitely illegal, definitely trouble. Probably way over her head.

 

But was that going to stop her from figuring out what it was? Not a chance.

 

She needed something to do with her time, she figured.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (: (: (: (: (: (: (: (:  
> anyway ive been watching cr1 and ive recently finished episode 37 so ive been telling everyone how much i adore keyleth and would die for her so im telling yall too  
> i adore keyleth


	13. Jester 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau goes to the library with Caleb to get a job. Using a fake name and lying about why she has no documents, Caleb's boss agrees to give her a trial run, which will become a proper job if she does well. So Beau helps Caleb with his job, along with trying to learn more about him but not getting very far. After work, Caleb headed back to the apartments while Beau split off to explore the city, eventually coming across a group of suspicious people outside a bar, the Evening Nip. With not much else to do with her free time, she decides she might as well investigate it.

The tearing of paper pierced the silence in Apartment C, the two ripped pieces of a ‘Help Wanted’ ad for a local café fluttering sadly to the ground.

 

Jester scowled, pacing around in a circle in front of the stolen noticeboard that Fjord had helpfully hung up on the wall for them, declaring that if they weren’t even going to bother hiding the stolen property they may as well make it part of the decor.

 

Fjord himself was asleep on the couch, and he probably wouldn’t wake up until noon, which was still a few hours away. Beau had already left to go to the library, leaving Jester more or less to her own devices until Fjord woke up.

 

Since Beau had gotten her job a few days ago, Jester had spent those lonesome hours trying to get a job for herself. But unlike her friends, who both had at least _some_ kind of experience working, and at least could figure out how to keep a job once they had it, she was finding it difficult.

 

If she wasn’t politely shown the door immediately after showing up without any kind of resume or qualification or experience, it didn’t seem to take long before she broke some unwritten employee rule that everyone seemed to know but her. Whether it was rearranging things to be more aesthetically pleasing (even when she _didn’t_ make them look like a dick or something equally obscene) or telling a customer they were wrong to their face or having to wear an ugly uniform, there was always something.

 

Maybe she could just do what Nott did and find things to sell. Or steal things. But then what if she got caught?

 

Hugging her arms across her chest, Jester walked to her bedroom, going to her backpack and pulling out a worn, bound sketchbook. Many of the pages were already filled with doodles and more detailed drawings.

 

Digging within a pocket of her dress, she pulled out her favourite pen and a smooth polished metal brooch that had a symbol of an open door with a winding path leading through it, carefully and precisely engraved.

 

Exhaling slowly, Jester pinned the brooch to her dress and slid down the wall to sit on the ground next to her backpack. She turned the sketchbook to a new page, the tip of her pen hovering over the paper for a moment.

 

“Hey Travelleeeer~” She spoke at a regular volume as if her best friend and god were sitting right next to her. “So you were probably watching, but that café place said I wouldn’t be a good fit for them either.”

 

As she spoke she left her pen slide over the paper, only vaguely paying attention to the picture that began to form.

 

“Which is really dumb of them because I’m so amazing you know, but they’ve all got so many rules and policies and _laws_ and I don’t know how anyone gets to have any fun while they’re working if they have to worry about all of those things all the time.”

 

She frowned, squinting down at her paper. “I just need to find a job that lets me work the way I want to work like Mama is able to do. Maybe I can come up with a job all by myself.”

 

Pausing for a moment, she looked over her work. It was a rough sketch so far, and she realised she’d started drawing Beau, standing with her big jacket on and her arms folded. The way she’d drawn it made it look like her jacket was almost comically oversized, a suspicious look on her face. Jester had drawn Beau a lot recently, along with Fjord and Nott and a little bit of Caleb and Frumpkin.

 

They were her new friends after all, and they were all so amazing and fun to draw, and it made her smile.

 

“Beau says she finds some parts of her job really annoying, like when people get annoyed at _her_ because they have a late fee. Or when they return a book but it’s all dirty and they say it was like that already. She gets annoyed at a lot of things, actually. But I think I would find some of those things annoying too.” Jester tapped the end of her pen on her chin before continuing to draw. 

 

“Maybe I should see if Caleb can still get me a job at the library. I could probably stop myself from rearranging everything. Probably.” She paused. “I mean, ya know, unless it would look way better if I did.”

 

She felt a warm tingling sensation on her hand, starting from where her fingers touched her pen and slowly winding up her arm until it reached her chest, a comforting and familiar feeling.

 

“You’re right, it probably looks very boring right now and I would definitely be able to make it better.” She sighed. “And then I’d probably get fired. Again.”

 

The warm sensation in her hand faded, only to be replaced by the feeling of two soft, heavy hands resting on her shoulder. A tingle of energy ran down her spine and Jester closed her eyes, the corners of her mouth curling upwards.

 

“ _If they can’t see the beauty your chaos creates, then that’s their loss.”_ The voice was smooth and silky like honey, with a slight, ever-present edge of amusement.

 

Jester huffed a little, putting her pen down in the middle of the page. “ _Obviously_ , but I still need a job. We have bills to pay now! I have to help, in case Mama can’t send us any more money.”

 

“ _I’m sure you’ll find a way. I’ve never met anyone half as creative as you.”_

 

She smiled, picking up her pen again and finishing up her sketch. “I know. I’ll come up with something where I don’t have to follow a million stupid rules and I can do it however I want, and then I’ll earn so much money and Beau and Fjord will be so impressed.”

 

“ _Of course they will, my Jester. I’m excited to see what you come up with.”_

 

“Me too.” Her hair rustled as if moved by a light breeze, the invisible hands on her shoulders lifting as the warmth in her chest blossomed for a moment before fading. Her smile didn’t waver as she surveyed her finished drawing, the irritation she’d been feeling before if not melted away, at least smoothed over.

 

The sketchbook closed with a tiny thud, and Jester jumped to her feet, invigorated and inspired.

 

Come up with the perfect job for herself. She could do that. She just needed that one, perfect idea.

 

Tucking the sketchbook under her arm and unpinning her brooch to place back in her pocket — she wished she could keep it on all the time, but Beau said openly brandishing symbols of illegal gods wasn’t a good idea, so she settled for keeping it safe in her pocket most of the time — she left the bedroom to walk out to their apartments tiny balcony.

 

It was small and bare, with a thin metal railing and a concrete floor that hadn’t been cleaned in a while. Jester leaned on the railing anyway, breathing in the slightly smoggy air and looking out over the city.

 

Just one perfect idea…

 

She looked to her left, where she could see parts of the Outerspread, all old, rickety-looking houses or dodgy apartment buildings like theirs, up until the massive concrete walls that blocked them from the outskirts of the city, which was filled with buildings of much the same quality as the Leaky Tap Apartments.

 

To her right the first thing she was the balcony from Apartment B, their neighbour. Unlike their balcony, Apartment B’s seemed quite full. Vines curled their way around the railings and clung precariously to the walls of the building, stretching almost halfway to Jester’s balcony. Lichen and moss accompanied the vines, pink and green and odd shades of red and all of it a beautiful spot of colour against the drab beige of the walls.

 

Jester could see a few narrow pots sitting on the balcony itself, viridian plants growing steadily within, one of them dotted with bright yellow flowers. Maybe Jester could buy some plants. She could start a garden, make flower crowns or bouquets or something. That could be a way to earn some money.

 

It would also take forever to actually be profitable, but hey, it was an idea.

 

Opening up her sketchbook again, Jester began to sketch out the balcony, leaning on the railing and humming quietly to herself as she worked, the sunshine warming up her skin. She stood out there for at least twenty minutes, drawing in the tiny details once she had the basic sketch out, adding in the shadows.

 

Just as she was trying to do the pattern of the bricks on the wall, the sliding door into Apartment B opened, and a figure stepped out onto the balcony. It was a firbolg, taller than anyone Jester could ever remember seeing except maybe for Blüd, but this firbolg was far skinnier and lankier, with pale skin and bright bubblegum pink hair, long ears sticking up a little bit, flickering around every few seconds.

 

He wore a straw sunhat on his head, which looked just wonky enough that it could have been homemade, and a long, silky flowing pale pastel pink robe or dressing gown or something, with big open sleeves that hung down, and tiny gold embroidery dotted along the hems.

 

He held a watering can in one hand, his eyes half-lidded as he bent over his pots — and Jester distantly realised he was so tall he actually had had to duck to get through the doorway, which was just an inch or two shorter than he was — and he didn’t seem to notice her, even she watched, curious about this neighbour she had yet to meet.

 

She said nothing for a few seconds and opened her mouth to introduce herself, before he suddenly looked up, a tiny smile on his face that seemed to say he knew she’d been there all along.

 

“Hello there.” He said languidly, resting the bottom of the water can on his free hand. “You’re one of my new neighbours, right?”

 

“Oh, yes!” Jester perked up, thoughts of her search for the perfect job idea temporarily forgotten in favour of this far more interesting endeavour. “My name’s Jester!”

 

“Caduceus Clay. Nice to meet you, Miss Jester.” Caduceus nodded his head, the sunhat dipping over his eyes for a moment. “Do you like my little garden?”

 

“It’s very beautiful.” Jester held up her sketchbook, turning it around so that Caduceus could see. “I even drew it, see?”

 

The firbolg leaned forward, squinting a little. “Oh my, that’s very nice. You’re quite an artist.”

 

Smiling proudly, Jester turned her sketchbook back around. “Thank you. You’re quite a gardener.”

 

Caduceus matched her smile, hovering a hand above the railing where some of the vines were wrapped around. After a moment Jester saw the tips of his fingers begin to glow, a soft pink so slightly she probably would’ve mistaken it for a trick of the light if she weren’t already familiar with magic.

 

Her eyes widened, mouth dropping open. “You can do magic! Me too!”

 

“Oh?” Caduceus glanced up at her, pleasantly surprised. “That’s wonderful.”

 

Jester belatedly remembered the many many times Fjord (and Beau) had told her she wasn’t supposed to tell people she could do magic. Since her magic was illegal and everything. But hey, as long as she didn’t say she got her magic from the Traveller it would be fine, right?

 

“Yeah! I’m like, a super good wizard. I can do lots of things.”

 

“That sounds great. I actually derive my magic from the Wildmother. She’s very nice.” Caduceus gently patted the vines, and Jester blinked for a moment, trying to remember if the Wildmother was on the list of legal gods that Beau had listed one time.

 

“Is the Wildmother legal?” She asked, tilting her head.

 

Caduceus shrugged, and Jester perked up.

 

“Okay, in that case then, I’m definitely not a wizard, I get my magic from the Traveller, who’s super cool and also the best.” She said, winking.

 

“That sounds wonderful. I’ve never heard of the Traveller.” Caduceus looked down at his plants again, and then up at Jester. “Say, Miss Jester, would you like a cup of tea?”

 

Jester’s smile grew, and a few minutes later she was sitting on a plush sofa in Apartment B, chattering about the Traveller while Caduceus boiled a pot of tea. When it was finished he poured it into two ornate teacups, carefully passing one to Jester.

 

“It’s mint tea. I hope you like it.” He said, blowing gently on his own cup before taking a sip.

 

Jester copied him, surprised by how good the tea actually tasted. She liked mint well enough, but this was _incredible_. “Did you grow the mint yourself?”

 

“It came from my family’s gardens. From the Warwoods, actually. They also produce wonderful plants.” There was a fond smile on his face as he spoke, and Jester nodded as if that fully made sense, looking around the apartment as she sipped her tea.

 

Caduceus’ apartment was smaller than Jester’s own, probably about the same size and layout as the mysterious Apartment D, from the brief look of it that she’d gotten while she and Nott had been spying. There were more potted plants in Caduceus’ living room, and the entire place smelled of sweet flowers and herbs as if she had stepped into a garden. There were fluffy rugs on the ground, and candles littering tabled and benchtops.

 

“The Warwoods?” Jester cocked her head, rerunning Caduceus’ sentence in her head but still coming up blank.

 

“Oh, my family runs a graveyard. We care for the graves, and in return, with the blessing of the Wildmother, sometimes they grow plants for tea.” Caduceus’ voice was soft and soothing, not changing in inflection at all as he dropped _that_ bombshell, while Jester stiffened, looking down at her teacup.

 

“I’m… drinking _dead people_ tea?”

 

Caduceus blinked at her, looking down at his own cup. “Technically… no… you’re drinking tea from plants on top of dead people.”

 

There was a short silence, before Jester whispered, “That’s so cool…”

 

“Well, thank you.”

 

“All our neighbours are so cool!” Jester exclaimed. “This entire floor! We picked the _best_ building.”

 

“Ah, you and your roommates. I don’t believe I’ve met them yet.”

 

Jester grinned at the idea of introducing Caduceus to Beau and Fjord, before remembering that Beau was at work and Fjord was asleep. She considered waking Fjord up, but decided against it, just in case he got crabby. She’d just have to tell them all about Caduceus later, and for now, she could tell Caduceus about them.

 

“They’re amazing, you know. I met Fjord first, he’s very smart and handsome and he likes to pretend he’s very strong but he’s not really, I’m _way_ stronger.” She dropped her voice to a whisper for that last part, leaning in as if anyone else might be around to overhear. “But he’s still very good and he’s one of my very best friends now.”

 

Caduceus nodded, listening politely. “And Beau I met second but she’s also one of my best friends now, she’s really tough and pretty and we’re roommates now and she helped me steal a job notice board.”

 

“Do you steal things often?” Caduceus raised an eyebrow, but it didn’t feel judgemental, just inquisitive.

 

“No, it’s only been that noticeboard.” Jester sighed, resting her teacup in her hands. “We’ve all had to get jobs since we moved here because otherwise, we won’t be able to pay the rent. Beau and Fjord have both been able to get jobs, but I haven’t yet.”

 

“I’m sure an opportunity will come to you when the time is right.”

 

“The time is right _right_ now.” Jester pouted for a moment. “I need money. To live.”

 

“Yes, you need money for lots of things in this city.” Caduceus seemed slightly exasperated by that idea as if he didn’t quite see the point of it all.

 

“What about you? Do you have a job? Or a roommate to help pay the rent?”

 

“Oh, I live by myself. I work in a café, it’s very nice.” Caduceus took another sip. “I think they made me a supervisor. Apparently, customers and employees think I’m soothing.”

 

“I can understand that.” Jester giggled. “You should sell some of your graveyard tea there, I bet it’d be really popular.”

 

“That would be nice, but unfortunately I only have limited stocks. It’s quite personal for me, but I’m happy to share with guests.” He smiled at her, and Jester smiled back, feeling quite touched that Caduceus would share his special tea with her. Dead people tea maybe, but special tea from home. She knew how special artefacts from home could be.

 

“Do you have guests often?” An idea occurred to Jester, her eyes lighting up. “What about the person in Apartment D? Have you ever had them as a guest?”

 

“Oh, Apartment D? The person who rents there hasn’t been here for a while. I believe he’s on a vacation or tour or something exciting like that.” Caduceus stroked his chin, and Jester frowned.

 

“What about the music that comes from there? We can hear it, at nighttime.” Jester slowly took another sip.

 

“That? Yes, I know who does that.” Caduceus shrugged lightly, while Jester struggled not to choke on her tea. “Are you alright, Miss Jester?”

 

“ _Urk-_ Yes! Yes! Just- just fine!” A hand over her chest, Jester coughed, holding up a finger while she recovered before leaning forwards, eyes wide. “What person is that? Who are they?”

 

“A friend of the apartment's tenant, I believe.” Caduceus seemed blissfully unaware of just how _important_ this discovery was to Jester, what it could mean for her investigation with Nott! Finally, the mystery could be solved! “I’ve not met her personally, but I once told Claudia someone was going into the apartment at night and she told me that it was all above board and agreed to.”

 

“But… who is the person?” Jester’s hands were tight around the teacup, hanging on to Caduceus’ every word.

 

“She lives downstairs on Floor Eight, I believe. I think she climbs up the fire escape to get into the apartment so that she doesn’t need to take the actual stairs.”

 

“Downstairs?” A tenant from downstairs? Jester and Nott hadn’t even _considered_ that possibility!

 

Caduceus nodded, and Jester sat there in shock. To think… the answers, or at least a better clue than they had found in all of their stakeouts, had been at their fingertips all along.

 

Jester soon finished her cup of tea, thanking Caduceus profusely for inviting her in, and talking with her. Once she left his apartment, she went careening back into her own, painfully aware that Nott was probably out either selling things or finding things to sell, but not about to let that stop her.

 

“Woah, Jester, what’s the rush?” Fjord was sitting at their table when she got in, weary-eyed and nursing a bowl of cereal.

 

“Downstairs! The mystery person lives downstairs! And it’s a _she!”_ Was all Jester said, racing down the hallway to collect her phone where she had left it by her backpack when she’d gotten out her sketchbook, leaving Fjord confused in her wake. She had to tell Nott about this _immediately_.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hmmm I Wonder Who The Mystery Person Is
> 
> anyway i dont have much to say here my brain is fried from uni assignments 
> 
> love yall ur the best


	14. Jester 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Jester has had no luck in her job search, finding barriers in both her lack of experience and qualifications and her difficulties in obeying the (in her opinion) stupid rules and regulations employees were supposed to follow. She speaks to the Traveller about her woes, who encourages her to come up with something she can do that she can do however she wants. Embolded, Jester tries to think of a new job she can do herself, going out to the balcony for some inspiration and instead coming across the occupant of the apartment next door to hers, a tall pink firbolg watering his plants. He invites her over for tea and introduces himself as Caduceus, along with revealing that he has magic gifted from a god as well, and that he knows about the mystery person who haunts Apartment D, who is apparently a woman.

That night, just before three am (okay, she supposed it was _technically_ morning, but whatever), Jester was once again in Nott’s apartment, preparing for what would perhaps be their final stakeout. Nott was there, just as nervous and excited as she was, having been buzzing over the revelation that the mystery person not only definitely existed, but lived on a different floor since Jester had called and told her about it earlier in the day.

 

Also, there was Beau, who had arrived from her job in the early evening, only to find Jester practically bursting at the seams. Once she’d heard what had happened with Caduceus, she’d decided to join Jester and Nott for their stakeout that night, her curiosity winning over her enjoyment of sleep.

 

“So what’s the play here?” Beau asked, the three of them sitting on the ground, waiting for the classical music to start.

 

“Okay, so we wait for her to get into the apartment and start playing her music,” Nott began, her palms pressed together. “Then we sneak back to the window again and find out who she is!”

 

Beau was quiet for a moment, glancing to Jester before looking back at Nott. “Then what?”

 

“We ask her what she’s doing!” Jester cut in, grinning widely.

 

“And if she freaks out cause we’re spying on her?”

 

“Well, she’s the one sneaking into someone else’s apartment, so really it’s her own fault,” Nott said solemnly, Jester nodding along in agreement.

 

She opened her mouth to add something before she heard footsteps coming from the hallway. Nott seemed to hear it too, her ears flicking up before they both held up fingers to their mouths, shushing Beau (who hadn’t been talking anyway and just rolled her eyes) while Nott crept up to the door, creaking it open a tiny fraction.

 

“Oh. It’s just your other roommate.” She reported back, closing the door and returning to the rest of them.

 

“Must’ve finished his shift,” Beau said mildly, before yawning. “How much longer is this gonna take?”

 

“Shouldn’t be too much longer,” Jester said brightly. “It usually starts a little while after Fjord comes back.”

 

So they sat and waited for a while longer, until, like clockwork, the music began to drift through the walls, muffled but unmistakable after a week or two of listening to it. It wasn’t always the same songs, but it was the same style, bleeding through so that it almost seemed like one very, very long song.

 

Jester and Nott both shot Beau a smug and excited glance, standing up and creeping towards the door. Filled to the brim with anticipation, it was hard not to just run down the hallway to catch their mystery person in the act, but the last thing Jester wanted to do was to risk scaring her off.

 

So they tip-toed down towards the window, sliding it open as quietly as they could and climbing out onto the fire escape one at a time, with Beau at the back. Three heads gingerly poked up to look inside the apartment, but the living room was empty, like most times they looked through it. As far as Jester could tell, the mystery person must spend most of her time in the bedroom or bathroom, since she’d only caught glimpses of a tall person in leather jackets and jeans most of the time, with long, flowing black hair. Or white hair. Or maybe grey.

 

Either way, she and Nott usually ran if it seemed like the person was coming back anyway, but tonight? They were going to find out the truth once and for all.

 

“Now what?” Beau whispered, lifting her head a little higher, so her face would’ve been entirely visible if they were looking from inside the apartment. She seemed slightly unimpressed, squinting at the gaudy and mismatched decorations and plants inside. “Seems like a dump.”

 

Jester and Nott both shushed her, straining their ears for any sign of the mystery person coming. But Beau seemed unconcerned, leaning into the apartment and looking around further. After a few moments passed without the world crashing down around them or half a dozen alarms going off, Jester began to do the same, shuffling up and forwards a little bit.

 

Her cheeks burned with nerves and anticipation, and Beau shot her a cocky grin before abruptly vaulting through the window into the apartment. She landed with barely a sound, her arms out to steady herself.

 

Nott inhaled sharply beside her, but, not about to be outdone, Jester steeled herself to clamber inside the apartment as well, one hand over her mouth to muffle any sounds she might have made. Nothing had changed by the time she was inside, but it felt like the whole atmosphere was different, like they’d crossed the line of no return. But hey, that’s what detectives did, right?

 

She looked over her shoulder to see Nott with her ears pinned back against the side of her head, eyes flickering to either side of her before she seemed to accept her fate, scuttling inside with just as much grace and silence as Beau had managed to do.

 

Now that all three of them were inside the apartment, they glanced at one another, no longer daring to even whisper. Nott hovered close to the window, seeming ready to bolt at any moment. Beau drifted towards the hallway, peeking down it before wandering over to the old television set and wiping some dust from the screen.

 

Jester had a closer look at some of the furniture and fabric hanging from the walls, both impressed and slightly unnerved by how absolutely mismatched it was. There were wicker chairs and bedazzled stools right next to each other — literally bedazzled, so covered in fake jewels that there was no way it could be comfortable to sit on — and the scarves hanging from the walls and ceiling gave almost the impression of a fortune teller’s tent, an assault on the senses. There was a massive tapestry on one wall that Jester hadn’t been able to see from outside, and posters (just as poorly designed as the rest of the room) plastered on the wall.

 

It was utterly unique, and Jester couldn’t even begin to picture the kind of person who would decorate an apartment this way. She couldn’t even think of a prank to pull to mess with it, she was just… it was stunning how ridiculous it was, and it was all the more overpowering now that was she wasn’t peering in from the outside.

 

Now that she knew that the mystery person wasn’t actually the one who owned this apartment, she was more and more curious about whoever it was that _did_. There were no pictures of people hanging up on the walls, no names or anything that would give her a clue. Just someone with possibly the worst sense of interior design in the world. It was like the criteria for choosing furniture had been the brightest and most eye-catching thing in the thrift store.

 

Beau had sat herself down on a plush couch, picking up one of the throw pillows decorated with rainbow sequins and squinting at it. Then she glanced up, in the direction of the hallway and suddenly froze, eyes widening.

 

Jester heard Nott curse and spun around to see a woman standing in the hallway, a dented metal watering can in hand and a befuddled look on her face. She was _tall_ , maybe only a little less than a foot shorter than Caduceus. She was wearing jeans, dark and stained hiking boots and a leather jacket with flowers embroidered onto the shoulders. Her hair was braided and half done up in a loose bun, the rest of it falling down over her shoulders.

 

And she was _jacked_. Holy shit, Jester had thought Beau’s muscles looked good. She’d thought _her_ muscles looked good. This woman’s muscles blew them both out of the water. Looking at Beau out of the corner of her eye, she could see her friend’s face had gone horribly red.

 

The woman stared at them, eyes shifting to each of them in turn. Distantly Jester realised they were two different colours, one a soft blue-green and the other a light purple, the colour a striking contrast to her dark eyeshadow that gave her almost a sullen look, and her pale skin.

 

Beau cleared her throat, drawing all eyes to her. The cocky grin was back on her face, her posture shifting into something relaxed, leaning back against the chair. She tilted her head up at the woman, her cheeks still red. “Hey.”

 

The woman blinked, before frowning. “What are you doing here?”

 

With no real good reason besides ‘oh you know, breaking and entering for the fun of it’, Jester’s mind jumped to the first thing she could possibly think of, which was, of course, pointing at the woman and calling out in the most accusing tone she could manage. “What are _you_ doing here?”

 

The woman looked down at her watering can then back up at Jester. “I’m watering my friend’s plants.”

 

“Oh.” Jester’s finger fell down to her side. Well… that made an annoying amount of sense.

 

“Your friend’s the weirdo who rents this apartment?” Nott spoke up, looking slightly sick from where she had plastered herself to the wall next to the window, but not running away yet.

 

“Yes.” The woman looked at them all again in turn, her eyebrows knitting together. “Who are you?”

 

All three of them answered at approximately the same time, with varying tones of nerves and fake confidence.

 

“I’m Jester.”

 

“None of your business!”

 

“Who would you like me to be?”Everyone glanced at Beau, who was absolutely shameless. “I mean, if I knew the mysterious intruder was you, I would’ve snuck in days ago.”

 

Jester’s cheeks were burning, whether from nerves at being caught or something else she wasn’t sure, but seeing Beau brazenly flirt with the person they’d just broken into an apartment to track down only made them hotter. Her hands slapped over her mouth to stifle her laughter, while the woman just raised an eyebrow, her body stiff.

 

“You didn’t answer my question before. Why are you here?”

 

Now Jester cleared her throat since it at least seemed like the woman wasn’t going to call the police or anything. Plus, if she was watering plants for her friend, that meant she was nice, right? “Weeeeell, we live on this floor and every night we heard your music but we didn’t know who lived here so we thought maybe someone was sneaking in and stealing everything or something so we wanted to check it out!”

 

“It’s a matter of neighbourhood safety,” Nott said, folding her arms.

 

“ _Totally_ altruistic.” Beau chimed in, still smiling.

 

The woman frowned, placing her watering can down on the table next to her. “Why didn’t you… knock or something?”

 

“Because we thought you were either a total weirdo or like, a criminal!” Nott called out, her eyes narrowed. “It’s nearly _four am_! Normal people don’t water plants at four am!”

 

The woman just blinked at Nott, as if considering this for the first time. “Really?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Why _do_ you water plants in the middle of the night?” Jester asked.

 

“Well, I just came home from work, so I like to water the plants before I go to bed. It’s relaxing.”

 

Huh. Jester supposed that made sense too. It was odd, but it wasn’t… criminal or anything. The four women lapsed into silence, glancing at once another, the two detectives plus Beau seeming to realise that this mystery was nowhere near as deep or complicated as they had originally thought or hoped it would be, while the woman just stood there. Perhaps waiting for them to leave.

 

Unfortunately for her, none of them had social know-how to actually realise that.

 

After a few more moments of silence, Jester wrung her hands together, slight disappointment fading away in the realisation that this was still perhaps an opportunity to meet new people. “What’s your name?”

 

“Yasha.”

 

“Oh cool! I already told you I’m Jester, and these are my best friends Beau and Nott! Do you know my other friend Caduceus? He’s tall and pink and he has lots of plants too~”

 

“Uh, I think… no.” Yasha was now seeming a bit more confused than standoffish, folding her arms and tilting her head slightly.

 

Without missing a beat, Jester continued. “He lives on this floor too! He said you live on Floor Eight, is that true?” Yasha nodded slowly. “I haven’t met anyone in this building besides people who live on this floor.”

 

“Okay?” Yasha looked at them all again, before looking away. “I’m sorry if my music has been playing too loud. I can turn it down.”

 

“It’s okay! I like the music!” Jester said. “Hey, maybe we can help water the plants, and keep you company!”

 

“Oh. Uh, I think I’m okay tonight.” Yasha picked up the watering can, walking over to the radio and switching it off, the music abruptly cutting off mid-crescendo. “My… wife will be… uh… waiting for me.”

 

She took a few steps closer to the window, before stopping and looking at all three of them again.“Please leave.”

 

Nott darted out of the window in a second, and Jester could hear a light thud from her tripping through the other window back into the hallway, cursing. Beau remained sitting on the couch for a moment, her eye twitching and her shoulders visibly deflating, before she got up and promptly walked back out to the window, not giving the rest of them a second glance. Jester climbed out third, and when she got back into the hallway, leaned out the window, ignoring the wind blowing her hair into her face while she waited for Yasha to get out onto the fire escape.

 

“Bye Yasha! Maybe sometime you can come over during the daytime!” She said, waving. Yasha, still looking quite bewildered, gave a brief ‘Okay’ in return before disappearing down the fire escape, and Jester slid the window shut, locking it in place.

 

When she turned, Beau and Nott were still standing there silently, still processing exactly what had just happened.

 

“I like her.” Jester beamed.

 

Beau sighed wistfully, glancing towards the window. “She was hot. But married.”

 

“She might’ve been lying just to get us out of there.” Nott pointed out, but Beau just shook her head.

 

“Nope, she’s got a ring. I checked after she mentioned a wife.” She sighed again, beginning to mutter under her breath. “Stupid hot girls, going and getting married.”

 

“Hey, we finally solved the mystery! Case closed!” Jester said, holding up a hand to Nott. “We’re like, the best detectives ever!”

 

Best detectives ever, if one ignored the fact that their only major breakthrough had been because of Caduceus. But Jester was quite happy to ignore that fact, and after a second of thinking, Nott seemed happy to ignore it too. A crooked smile crossed her face, her hand reaching up to high five Jester’s as they began walking back towards their own apartments.

 

“Best detectives ever.” She smirked, walking with her head held high.

 

Jester waved goodbye when Nott went into her apartment, while she and Beau went into theirs.

 

“Hey Beau, we should buy a watering can. Then we can help Yasha!” Jester said as they walked inside.

 

“Didn’t she say she didn’t need our help?” Beau raised an eyebrow, before yawning.

 

Jester’s eyes sparkled, her grin growing wider. “She said she didn’t need our help _tonight_. Didn’t say anything about any oooooother night~”

 

Beau looked at her for a moment, before cracking a smile, her gaze flickering away and shaking her head.

 

Then a low groan broke the otherwise still air of the apartment, and they both suddenly remembered that Fjord was on the couch.

 

“Jester? Beau?” In the darkness, Jester looked over to the couch to see a cranky-looking Fjord sit up, his hair so scruffy and his face so pouty that it looked kinda cute. “What the hells are you two doing?”

 

“Sorry Fjord,” Beau whispered, taking a step to go to their bedroom, while Jester stayed, eyes lighting up.

 

“We solved the mystery! We found out who the person is that’s been in Apartment D at night!”

 

Fjord rubbed his eyes, not appearing enthused at all. “Sounds great, Jester.”

 

“She’s actually really cool, she’s watering plants for her friend, cause she lives downstairs.”

 

“She’s also really hot. But _married_.” Beau cut in, walking back next to Jester seemingly just to complain further about this.

 

“Wow. You sound really cut up about that, Beau.” Fjord deadpanned, lying back down and staring up at the ceiling.

 

“I’ll be over it by the morning. But right now, I get to complain about all the hottest girls being married.”

 

“ _I’m_ not married.” Jester teased, hip-checking Beau, who couldn’t hide her grin.

 

“Okay, not _all_ the pretty girls are married.” She rolled her eyes, and Jester’s cheeks flushed, so she quickly turned back to Fjord, who, by contrast to the two girls, could not look less interested in this conversation.

 

“Anyway, so she waters plants and her name is Yasha and she seems nice so I want to help her someday and-”

 

“Wait, you said her name was Yasha?” Fjord’s head tilted towards them, the most energy he’d shown since being woken up. Jester and Beau both nodded, and for a moment Fjord looked at them both.

 

“She tall, got black hair that turns white, wears leather and denim a lot?” There were nods, and Fjord blinked. “Huh. I work with her.” He said, before going back to looking up at the ceiling.

 

There was silence. Jester could feel her eye twitching.

 

“You’ve known who it is this _entire time_?!” Jester stomped up to Fjord’s couch, her hands planted on her hips. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

 

“She’s not exactly much of a social butterfly.” Fjord was not at all swayed, probably too tired to feel any emotion besides mild surprise and exhaustion. “She does her job, I do my job, then we go home. She rides a motorbike home, I didn’t even know we lived in the same apartment building.”

 

“I can’t believe you didn’t tell me your coworker was super hot.” Now Beau walked up to him, her arms folded. “You got any other coworkers you’ve been holding out on?”

 

“I saw she had a wedding band and connected the dots.” Fjord drawled, and Beau huffed but backed down. “And there are the two dayshift workers, but I’m like ninety percent sure they’re dating and think they’re being slick trying to hide it. Now, I would like to go back to sleep.”

 

He promptly rolled over, ignoring Jester’s pleading for more information for a solid thirty seconds before she gave up, going back to her and Beau’s bedroom. Both of them had already been in pyjamas for the stakeout, with Beau complementing her outfit with a jacket that she now dumped in a corner of the room on top of her backpack before collapsing onto their mattress.

 

“Jeez, I don’t know whether to call that whole thing a success or not.” Her voice was muffled, and after she was done she rolled onto her back, automatically scooting to one side to make room for Jester, shuffling under the bulk of the sleeping bag since Jester usually ended up not using it herself.

 

“I think it was a total success,” Jester said brightly, lying down next to Beau on her back. “And when I get a super cool job, I promise I’ll let you know who all the pretty girls are.”

 

She heard Beau chuckle, and Jester smiled, nestling into her pillow, continuing to talk. “But you have to tell me who all the cute boys are at the library.”

 

“Well, unless your preferred type is hobo with a side of nerd or professor old enough to be your dad, I don’t think you’ll have much luck.” Beau drawled. “No offence to Caleb, but I’m pretty sure he showers like, twice a week max.”

 

“Caleb is very cool. But he does stink a little bit.” Jester conceded, hiding a giggle with her hand before dropping her voice to a gossipy whisper. “I think Fjord is very handsome though.”

 

“I am not the girl to be asking about handsome boys, Jes.” Beau rolled onto her side to face her, her eyes half-closed. “What do you find so handsome about Fjord?”

 

“Well, he’s tall and strong and nice.” Jester sighed as she listed off Fjord’s handsome qualities. Beau seemed unconvinced, but she didn’t _like like_ boys, so that was alright. Jester meanwhile, did like boys and had read lots of romance books — books with princesses and princes who swept them off their feet and travelled with them and kept them safe (not quite unlike how Fjord had helped Jester and stayed with her while they travelled to Zadash, she thought quietly to herself) before romance bloomed —so she knew what she was talking about.

 

Eventually, she and Beau exchanged goodnights, and Jester drifted off into sleep, dreaming about handsome princes and new friends and lots of watering plants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> comp het strikes again YEET
> 
> also The Mystery Is Finally Solved! Now just about everyone has been introduced nice and properly. It only took like 43k to get to this point. Good work me. 
> 
> and rip beau
> 
> where oh where will she find a hot girl who isn't married and also super nice and amazing and talented and cool... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)


	15. Beau 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: In the early morning, Jester, Nott and Beau are staking out Apartment D, determined to catch out the mystery woman. They sneak up to the window only to see the living room empty, so an impatient Beau climbs into the apartment herself, with Jester and Nott following. They investigate for a short while before the mystery woman arrives. After some confused accusations, she introduces herself as Yasha, explaining that she is watering plants for her friend, the one who owns the apartment. Eventually, Yasha awkwardly gets them to leave, and Jester and Beau return to their apartment to tell Fjord about their success. After mentioning her name, Fjord reveals that Yasha is his coworker, though he hadn't known she lived in the same building.

Beau nursed a pint of beer, mindlessly scrolling down her phone while looking over the edge of the case towards the bar of the Evening Nip. It was the fourth time she’d been in the area since the pub had initially caught her suspicions, but this was the first time she’d actually gone inside the place.

 

It was entirely unremarkable if it had been an actual pub. There were undetermined stains on the floors, walls and even ceiling, and the table Beau was sitting at was wonky, tilting back and forth with the slightest touch. Framed pictures of various sports teams hung on the walls, and tinny music filtered into the room.

 

If Beau didn’t know any better, she’d think it was just a particularly shitty, boring pub. But she did know better. Sitting in the pub across the street, she’d watched people slip out of the probably hidden entrance in the alleyway, and the main floor she was in now was for too deserted for six o clock (with precisely five patrons including her) to be profitable. From her other observations, she hadn’t seen it get any busier than this.

 

She didn’t have much of an end goal in mind, beyond figuring out what the hell was going on. Who knew, if it was interesting enough, perhaps she’d get involved herself. Her paycheck from the library along with Fjord’s income was enough to keep the three of them afloat, but only barely. They could use all the extra money and resources they could get.

 

Her current theory was some kind of drug smuggling ring. Or hell, any other kind of smuggling ring, since so much shit was banned in the Empire. It could be a hidden temple to one of the forbidden gods for all she knew.

 

Whatever it was, it seemed to be a tight system. She’d never seen anyone enter through the alleyway, so that seemed to only be an exit. But from sitting here in this tavern for half an hour, buying a meal to appear like a regular customer with very low standards, she’d seen two people walk up to the bar, chatting with the bartender for a few minutes like old friends before they were led through a back door and didn’t return.

 

Considering they’d both spoken with the bartender, Beau doubted it was a scenario in which she could waltz past and act like she belonged.

 

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw one of the patrons leave, a few others standing up and heading towards the bar. Beau glanced down properly at her phone, taking a long sip of her drink, tapping her toes beneath the table. Once she was finished, she’d probably leave, sneak around the outside for a while before heading home, probably come back in a few days. Maybe bring Fjord or Jester along to dissuade suspicion.

 

Though Jester might be a bit… colourful to blend in and stay on the down-low. Or perhaps that would just help her even more. Stand out to blend in. Besides, spending time with Jester was always fun. It had been nearly a week since they’d solved the mystery of Apartment D (which really hadn’t been much of a mystery) and already Jester had somehow managed to weasel Yasha’s phone number out of her, adding her into the Floor Nein group chat as an honorary member. Yasha had yet to actually say anything on the chat, but it was the thought that counts.

 

Since then, Jester had spent a lot of time trying to figure out her own way to make money, bouncing ideas off of Beau and ruminating loudly about it over breakfast. Her ideas were unconventional and usually skewed a little over the line from legal to illegal, but that just made it all the more fun to engage with.

 

Gulping down the last of her drink, Beau made her leave, already feeling more comfortable the moment she stepped out of the pub. Suspicious eyes bored into her back as she left but she ignored them, making a quick left and ducking right into the alleyway where she now knew the secret entranceway was.

 

She walked past the entryway towards the back of the alleyway, where empty crates and boxes were stacked high. With the hood on her jacket up, Beau spent a few minutes rummaging around through the boxes, probably looking to any random passerby like one of the many homeless people in the city, hunting around for a place to sleep for the night.

 

The crates and boxes seemed fairly innocuous, so she ducked behind them, crouching down into a small hiding place with a tiny gap that gave her a view into the rest of the alleyway. If she watched from this angle, perhaps she’d be able to catch a glimpse of some of the presumed criminals operating their secret entranceway, so she could figure out exactly how it worked. Perhaps there was a way to get in from the outside.

 

So she sat, and she waited, but she didn’t have to wait for long. Barely ten minutes after she’d settled into her hiding spot, she saw movement. One of the created by the secret entranceway began to glide to the side, so smoothly it seemed impossible, revealing the short stairway to the hidden door.

 

There had to be magic involved in that. Some kind of activation rune or something, but that did not seem natural. Her eyes narrowed, Beau watched as a group of five people — tall and buff and very violent looking — clambered out of the door. But rather than huddle up together to chat or turn to walk down the alleyway, they instead turned towards the end. Towards her.

 

They didn’t hesitate, they just started walking towards her.

 

Oh shit.

 

They knew she was here. How? She hadn’t seen any cameras, any sign of surveillance equipment. Had someone seen her?

 

The group continued to walk towards her, cracking their knuckles. Shit, she didn’t have time for this.

 

Her mind racing, Beau looked up. About fifteen feet in the air, there was a barred windowsill.

 

No time to second guess now.

 

In a flash, she bolted up from her hiding spot, the sudden movement eliciting shouts from the approaching… security? Criminals? Murderers?? Let’s go with murderers. That felt a lot more urgent.

 

She clambered up on top of the crates she’d been hiding behind, scaling the rest of the stacked boxes as quickly as she could, the murderers now racing to try and catch up to her, shouting out for her to stop. Yeah, right.

 

The highest box she could get to was still a good eight feet below the windowsill, swaying unsteadily beneath her feet. Gritting her teeth, Beau chanced a look over her shoulder. One of the murderers was climbing on top of the crates as well, far slower and clumsier than her. Two others were making their way around, heading towards the stack she was currently precariously balanced on. The final two stood just outside the mess of boxes, reaching behind them and pulling out- oh fuck those were guns.

 

Panic flaring, Beau turned back around and jumped, pushing off against the wall to leap up towards the windowsill, her hands latching onto the bars and holding on tight. Feet dangled in the wind for a moment before she set them on the solid wall, pulling herself up higher and higher until she could get her feet on the ledge.

 

“Get down here!” One of them called out, but Beau didn’t stop to look or even respond, just racing up higher and higher. When she got to the top of the windowsill she reached up to the next one, hand and footholds easier to find now that she was higher up the ground.

 

“Shit fuck shit shit balls fuck shit-” She hissed under her breath as she ran.

 

The ones with the guns hadn’t fired them yet, and Beau didn’t stop to wonder why, just kept climbing. She got to the roof and hauled herself to her feet and started running, as far away from that alleyway as she could. She leaped across rooftops, all the way to the end of the block. Then she went to the right and started looping back around again.

 

“Fuck shit shit ass damn god _shit-_ ”

 

When she got to the _other_ end of the block she climbed down onto a fire escape, never pausing for a single second. She dropped down into the alleyway, finally stopping to catch her breath, leaning against the wall.

 

“Holy _fuck_ -” She wheezed, running a hand over her hair, accidentally losing a few strands that fell over her face.

 

Okay.

 

Okay, this was fine.

 

This was totally completely fine and salvageable.

 

Maybe it was time to just lay low.

 

Exhaling slowly, she pushed herself off the wall and straightened up, brushing down her jacket and beginning to walk towards the end of the alleyway, intending to blend in with the evening crowd and start heading towards home.

 

Fumbling in her pockets for her phone to ask Jester what she was planning for dinner, Beau looked down for a few moments before her fingers enclosed around the ever-trusty hunk of metal. She pulled it out, only to walk headfirst in a brick wall.

 

Except it wasn’t a brick wall. It was a person. Shoulders (massive, massive broad shoulders, practically twice the width of Beau) heaving from exertion. Beau was suddenly hyper-aware of two more presences going to either side, blocking her in.

 

“I’d advise coming with us.” A low, gruff voice grumbled, a hand encircling around the wrist of Beau’s hand that was holding her phone. He squeezed _tight_ , and it took all of Beau’s self-control to try and keep a straight face, feeling her heart rate begin to pick up again.

 

“Hey- hey, I don’t know who you guys are, or what you’re doing, but-”

 

“You might not know what we’re doing, but we know what _you_ were doing.” Another voice said, and Beau could _hear_ the snarling, the bared teeth.

 

“Come on, we’re all reasonable people here!” She plastered a grin on her head, but the man holding her just pushed her forwards, the other two falling in step on either side. Nowhere for her to run but forwards, with a high chance of her just getting caught again if she tried. That was assuming she could break the hold the man had on her wrist.

 

Shit. She knew she could break the hold easily enough, but if she did, she’d probably lose her phone, and it was important enough to her to make her pause, to try and think of a different plan.

 

Yelling out? That might attract attention, but there was no guarantee anyone would listen, or be able to help even if they for some reason felt inclined to. Most likely they’d see the muscles on the men with her and decide to hang back, calling the police rather than intervening. And there was no way the police would arrive in time, nor would she want to deal with them.

 

Okay, so calling out was a bust. Breaking the hold could be a last resort, but she didn’t want to lose her phone if she could help it. What else was there to do?

 

Go along with it. Hmm. That was an idea.

 

These men were undoubtedly from the Evening Nip. The presumed secret crime ring behind the Evening Nip, that is. She had wanted to figure out what was going on in that place… Maybe this wasn’t _exactly_ how she’d have preferred it going, but she’d landed herself in worse situations and come out mostly clean.

 

With that idea in her head, Beau huffed, making a very weak attempt at breaking the hold on her arm before pretending to give up, holding her head high and scowling. They pushed her back towards the Evening Nip, into the now empty tavern. The bartender, a shifty elderly gnome with half a beard — literally, the other half looked like it had been burned away — eyed at her as the men led her through a door, through another door, and down a staircase.

 

One of the men pulled at an old, decrepit lantern that lit up the room, and suddenly the wall itself began to open, shifting backward with a creak. Beau’s eyes widened, and as they began to push her down into the newly revealed passageway, she rethought her initial plan. A few secret passageways were one thing… but this was a bit more complicated than she’d initially thought.

 

They must have sensed her hesitation and mistook it for fear, grunting and shoving her forwards, stumbling downstairs.

 

Well, if she died, at least she wouldn’t have to worry about paying rent anymore.

 

As they continued to travel downwards, Beau looked over her shoulder to try and see how the door closed, but it seemed to just slide shut once all of them were passed, with no indication of anything else to pull or press to make it open again. Shit. Automatic doors in a place like this was certainly a sight to see. 

 

There was another door at the bottom of the stairs, and through it, Beau could hear faint, muffled music. Was that… pop? She’d been half thinking there would be some kind of torture dungeon or just a pit to throw her body into at the bottom of these stairs, but instead, these criminals seemed to enjoy the top 100 radio charts.

 

The realisation confused her enough that when the door opened, she was still trying to process it. Inside was a room, that might have once been a very large cellar, except it had been renovated with lights, carpets, couches, and chairs, appearing far more like an underground nightclub. Lights flashed in bright colours, switching from green to purple to blue to red every thirty seconds or so.

 

Except rather than gaggles of rebellious teens who wanted to feel like they were doing something dangerous, this underground nightclub was filled with grown men and women with no sense of consistency between them. Some wore suits, some wore sweatpants, one woman was in an evening dress with opera gloves. Some were bruised and bandaged beyond belief, while others were completely pristine. Champagne glasses rested on tables or were held in hands, and conversations were hushed while laughter was loud.

 

It was… utterly bewildering and not at all what Beau had imagined.

 

“Come on.” A rough shove to the back pushed her forward, through the crowd towards the back of the cellar, where another small door loomed. Beau could feel eyes on her as she passed and she kept her mouth shut, her fight or flight instinct yelling very loudly in the back of her head to _run_.

 

The door was opened without anyone touching it, and Beau felt she was walking past the point of no return. In reality, she had probably passed that point long ago, but now? Well, she had a feeling there was no way she was getting out of this room unscathed. If she came out at all.

 

Gritting her teeth together, she finally felt the grip around her wrist loosen, a split second before she was unceremoniously shoved inside the room, where the lights were dimmer, far more subdued and yellow when compared to the garish blues, purples, and greens from the rest of the cellar.

 

This new room was also smaller than the rest of the cellar, but that just made it more imposing, constricting. There was a patterned carpet beneath her feet, and in front of her, a plush rounded couch with pillows and throw rugs, behind an ornate wooden table that was piled high with glasses and liquor bottles. One glance at the labels told her it was expensive liquor too.

 

Sitting on the couch were three people, all of whom looked at her with narrowed eyes. Two men and a woman. The woman, sitting on the far right, was tall and elvish, with choppily cut black hair and a thin, sour-looking face, rugged up in layers of jumpers and scarves that covered the bottom half of her face, the tips of her ears poking out. One of the men, sitting on the far left with a half-empty glass of wine in his hand, wore long thick pants and a brown wifebeater shirt, showing off the scars and tattoos that littered his arms and collarbone. He sneered down at her, one eye not opening quite all the way.

 

But it was the final man in the centre of the couch, leaning backward with one leg resting over the other, half of his mouth curled upwards in a dangerous smirk, that drew most of Beau’s attention.

 

For starters, he was blue (with perhaps a hint of green), and the only blue person Beau had ever met up until now was Jester. But while Jester always seemed warm and full of life despite the cool shade of her skin, this man seemed nothing but cold and calculating. His skin seemed to shine, his hair appearing as if it had been gelled far beyond the recommended amount, and he wore a perfectly pressed dark navy suit, a white tie untied and hanging loosely around his neck.

 

“So you’re the one who’s been… attempting to spy on us.” His voice was silky smooth and spoke of hundreds of untold dangers.

 

Beau swallowed, feeling her throat dry up, but refusing to give up quite so easily. “I don’t know what you’re talking about. Those assholes out there grabbed me off the street.” She slipped her phone into the pockets of her pants rather than her jacket — which she could potentially throw as a distraction if she had to run again — and folded her arms tightly.

 

“Ah yes, after you scaled a building and ran across the rooftops.” The man never broke eye contact with her, every word a challenge for her to confirm or deny. She stared right back at him, refusing to give him the satisfaction.

 

She didn’t answer, waiting for him to get to whatever fucking point he was trying to dance his way around.

 

“It’s one thing to notice people congregating around the alleyway outside of the Evening Nip, but it’s another thing entirely to come back and actively attempt to watch us, and then demonstrate that kind of acrobatic prowess.” The man leaned forward. “I can’t tell if you’re extremely bold or extremely stupid.”

 

Or maybe just extremely curious. Biting the inside of her cheek, Beau couldn’t take it anymore. “What do you want?”

 

The man’s smile widened ever so slightly, his face entirely unchanged beyond that one, tiny detail. “Oh, my dear girl, there are many things I want. One of those things is for my business to remain… let’s say… private.”

 

“You want whatever illegal bullshit you’re running down here to stay secret.” Beau deadpanned. If there was one thing she didn’t enjoy, it was vague nonsense. She understood its purpose, and she was perfectly capable of dishing it out from time to time, but she hated it. “So you couldn’t let me run off or whatever, bla, bla. And I doubt you’ll let me go just because I promise not to say anything.”

 

“Perhaps you’re not stupid.” The man mused aloud, casting a glance towards his companion.

 

“I just have an idea of how these rackets work,” Beau said, silently hoping this man wasn’t the type to just kill anyone who stood up to him. “So I repeat my question. What do you want?”

 

The man looked at his companions again. The other man was stone-faced, while the woman’s eyes narrowed, nodding ever so subtly towards the man after a moment.

 

“I believe we may be able to come to an agreement that benefits all of us. Assuming you can perform more feats like climbing and running across rooftops.”

 

“If it gets me money and my life, then yes.” Beau took a bold step forward.

 

The man raised an eyebrow, and Beau kept her arms folded tight, not daring to let her guard down for even a moment. The amount of leverage she had here was almost zero, she knew that for sure. But there was no way she was getting half-blackmailed-half-recruited into whatever nonsense was going on here without at least getting some money out of it.

 

Besides, this guy looked like the type to be amused by that kind of demand anyway. Nothing that really threatened him, but just enough to show some spine.

 

Sure enough, his smirk curled up just a little wider. “Your life _and_ money? I’m sure that can be arranged if you truly prove yourself useful.”

 

“What kind of useful do you need?”

 

“That, you will find out on a need to know basis.” The man smiled, accepting a full glass of wine from the woman next to him and taking a sip without ever looking away from her. “And right now, you don’t need to know.”

 

Beau bristled but forced a tight, hardened smile on her face. “Wonderful.”

 

“Indeed.” The man reached into a pocket and placed a small object on the table, sliding it across towards her.

 

Approaching it with a wary eye, Beau picked up a small flip phone, brand new. Undoubtedly how they planned to contact her, probably from another burner phone like this one. Easy to get rid of, difficult to trace. Without another word, she slipped that into her pocket as well.

 

“Well, this has been a lovely day, but I’d best get going. Wouldn’t want to be late for dinner.” Fake friendliness was practically dripping from her teeth, and the man just chuckled once. “Though I would love to know exactly who you are.”

 

“The Gentleman will suffice.” He leaned backwards again, finishing off his glass of wine and holding it out to be refilled. “I trust this will be a mutually beneficial arrangement.”

 

Beau didn’t respond, just turned and left, the door once again starting to slide open as soon as she approached it, even though she saw no sign of an electronic sensor or anything. Magic automatic doors then. Wonderful.

 

It took her a few minutes to find the exit again, a few slightly terrifying minutes where she knew that every single person in the fucking cellar was looking at her, but she could never actually catch any of them in the act.

 

Finally she found herself back in the open air, and she kept her composure for three blocks, walking with tense shoulders as quickly as she could without breaking into a jog. Inhaling the cold evening air, her mind was racing but she kept herself focused on her one current goal, getting home without getting murdered or something.

 

A vibration interrupted her thoughts, followed swiftly by another one. Freezing on the spot, Beau suddenly remembered her phone, realising she’d been gone far longer than she usually was. Hell, her shift at the library had ended four hours ago.

 

Sure enough, when she opened her phone, there was a text from Jester.

 

**Jester: beeeeeeaaauuuuuuu where are you????? I made homemade gruau!!**

**Jester: okay its technically storebought**

**Jester: and fjords the one who cooked it B U T**

**Beau: sorry jes im on my way home now**

**Jester: what were you doing???**

**Beau: joined a crime gang yaknow**

 

The text was sent before she even realised what she’d written, her eye twitching as soon as she did, a tiny bubble signalling Jester typing a response appearing on her screen. Oh gods _damnit_ -

 

**Jester: fine dont tell me :p**

 

Beau stared at the message for a moment, before breaking out into nervous giggles. Oh, gods what had she gotten herself into?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and thats how you accidentally on purpose join a crime gang
> 
> but hey good job not getting shanked beau 
> 
> also remember how beau was like "yeah im part of a gang of monks and we go around rooting out corruption i guess" way back when and everyone was like "haha sure beau" and then during the ocean arc when beau showed off her credentials against avantika they were like "what the fuck how long have you been able to do that"  
> yeah 
> 
> anyway i think this is the longest chapter ive written so far yay


	16. Jester 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau haunts the Evening Nip in an attempt to find out what is going on with it, getting spotted and trying to run away. Despite her attempts at parkour she is caught and marched back to the bar, being taken to a secret underground cellar that's been converted almost into a nightclub kind of area. She meets a man who says she may call him the Gentleman who, after some brief discussion, offers to put her gymnastics and running skills to good use in his gang, with payment. Beau, who enjoys money and also being alive, agrees.

When Jester knocked on the door to Apartment D at three forty-three in the morning, dressed in her pyjamas and dressing gown and with just her phone and sketchbook in hand, she only had to wait a few moments before the door cracked open.

 

Yasha stood there, seeming mildly surprised, just like she had every other night Jester showed up. She didn’t do it every night, her sleep schedule was already suffering enough, but it was often enough that Yasha seemed to have gotten mostly used to it.

 

“Hello, Jester.” She said, opening the door further to let her in. “I thought you might not be coming tonight. I’m nearly finished.”

 

“Hiii, Yasha.” Jester huffed, brushing past and taking in the room. “I’m sorry, I wanted to be here earlier to help and talk to you but I slept through my alarm for like half an hour and then Beau woke up and woke me up.”

 

Yasha just nodded, picking up her watering can and walking over to some of the potted plants. Having arrived late, there was little work for Jester to do, so she just rubbed the remaining sleep from her eyes and collapsed on the couch, momentarily admiring how soft (if garish) the pillows were before beginning to chat.

 

“And so Beau was all grumpy because the alarm woke her up so she stole the whole blanket — did I tell you we bought a blanket? We did, it’s really fluffy and soft and purple — but anyway, she took all of it which I guess is kinda fair cause my alarm woke her up but I’ll just steal it back when I go back to bed after this.” She pulled out her sketchbook, furrowing her eyebrows as she held it aloft, staring at the cover. “Oooor, I’ll just stay up and talk to the Traveller. He’s trying to help me come up with ideas for a job.”

 

“Has he been helping?” Yasha was always polite whenever Jester was talking, never seeming annoyed if she went on for ages and ages. She didn’t always say much in return, but she always listened, and Jester loved that.

 

“He’s doing his best, but most of his ideas are various shades of illegal, and we don’t really wanna do anything illegal.” Jester paused. “I mean, Beau says she doesn’t mind doing illegal things but she’s done _way_ more crimes than me so she’s like, good at it.”

 

She tilted her head towards Yasha with pursed lips, belatedly realising that she had no idea where Yasha stood on the law. “You can’t tell the police that I said that, kay?”

 

“Okay, I won’t.” Yasha just shrugged, shaking the last few drops of water from her watering can onto a bush, before resting the can down on the ground. “Well, that’s the last plant.”

 

“Awww, we barely got to hang out.”

 

Yasha looked sympathetic, but nowhere near as devastated as Jester was pretending to be. The tiefling sighed, not quite looking forward to going back to her own apartment. It had been nearly a full month since they’d arrived in Zadash, but she still wasn’t sure what she was going to do with herself. She felt like she was just one breakthrough away from a brilliant idea, but there was no way to tell where that idea would come from.

 

“I’m sorry, Jester, but I need you to leave before I can lock the door again. My wife will be home soon and I don’t want to miss her.” Yasha was smiling awkwardly, but Jester’s brain caught on to the words ‘my wife’ and promptly stopped listening to whatever else came next, already coming up with an idea to avoid going back to her apartment just yet.

 

“Oh! Maybe I can meet her! I can’t believe I haven’t met her yet!” She perked up, jumping to her feet and clapping her sketchbook between her hands. “Could I come down to your apartment?”

 

“My-?” Yasha blinked, her gaze drifting around the room for a few moments as she considered. “I… suppose so.”

 

Beaming, Jester tried to make sure Yasha wouldn’t regret the decision, locking the door to the apartment for her and opening up the window, all the while mentally congratulating herself on what a wonderful idea this was. Sure, she had no real plan as to how this would help her find a job, but she’d get to meet Yasha’s wife! So it was worth it.

 

Climbing down the fire escape was a little more precarious than she’d previously thought, but with Yasha’s help, she made it safely down to the eighth floor, where a window had been left open. A small lovingly tended flowerbed sat on the windowsill, which Jester carefully stepped over as she clambered into the apartment.

 

It was the exact same layout as Apartment D on the ninth floor, but the interior decorating was quite different. Where Jester’s apartment had bare walls and Apartment D practically had ribbons and glitter falling from the ceiling, this apartment had been painted a soft lilac colour. The living room was fairly sparse, with a single couch covered in a rough, handmade looking wooden blanket. There was a bookshelf that had only a few books on it, the rest of the space taken up by trinkets and knick-knacks, small wooden carvings or bunches of dried, delicate-looking flowers, and an old carved wooden harp leaning up against it.

 

It smelt a bit like lavender, grass and something Jester couldn’t place, and as Yasha closed the window behind them, she breathed in deeply, shoulders relaxing.

 

“Wow, your apartment is really nice, Yasha,” Jester said, walking to a wooden table that was closer to the kitchenette and sitting down.

 

“Thanks.” Yasha was smiling softly, walking towards the kitchen and filling a kettle with water. “Would you like a drink? Zuala likes hot chocolate.”

 

“Oh, I’d love some hot chocolate!” Jester said, thanking Yasha and opening up her sketchbook. Drawing always helped get her creative ideas flowing. “Where does Zuala work?”

 

“She’s a bouncer at one of the nightclubs.” Yasha pulled out a few mugs, setting them down on the counter and preparing three mugs of hot chocolate. “It’s nice, we both have similar hours.”

 

“Why don’t you work at the nightclub? I bet you’d be a really good bouncer, you look so strong.”

 

Yasha chuckled a little, scratching at her arm. “I thought about it. But I like working at Tarla’s. It’s quieter, and I get to sell my flowers.”

 

Jester hummed and nodded along, only for a soft mewing sound to catch her attention. A few moments later the mewing shifted into full-on pitiful meowing and the sound of soft feet racing their way towards her, a black and orange cat sprinting into the room and wrapping itself around Yasha’s legs, demanding attention.

 

Jester gasped, temporarily ignoring her sketchbook in favour of gaping. “Oh. My. Gosh. You have a cat too?”

 

Yasha glanced in her direction as if she hadn’t heard the cats pleas at all. “Oh, yes, we have a few. This is Patch.”

 

Cooing, Jester left her chair to go kneel on the ground next to the cat, who quickly realised that one of the people present would give her the attention she craved, happily jumping into Jester’s open arms and beginning to purr. “She’s so _cute!”_

 

“She is very needy.” Yasha was smiling softly as Jester returned to her seat, stroking Patch’s fur and marvelling at how she was vibrating as she purred, clearly enjoying herself.

 

At that moment there were faint, muffled footsteps at the door, followed by some rustling and a click. The door opened and a woman stepped in, an inch or two shorter than Yasha and only slightly less muscular.

 

She had dry olive-toned skin, contrasted with Yasha’s almost eerie pale tone. Thick dark chestnut brown hair was braided tightly and pinned to her head, which she was already beginning to undo as she stepped into the apartment, letting the braids fall to just below shoulder length. She wore a simple black shirt and pants and a jacket with the word ‘Security’ emblazoned on the back, a leather band tied around her left bicep and a silver ring identical to Yasha’s on her hand.

 

Zuala huffed as she walked in, a weary smile on her face, which shifted into something more satisfied as she continued to undo her hair and let it loose. Yasha left the kitchenette for a moment to greet her, pecking a kiss to her cheek. Zuala’s smile widened, and then her gaze fell on Jester, sitting at the table.

 

“Oh, is this the blue one you were talking about?” She looked at Yasha, who nodded. Jester grinned, feeling a little smug that Yasha liked her enough to tell her wife about her.

 

“I’m Jester!” She waved. “I like your apartment! It’s waaaaaay nicer than mine is right now.”

 

“Thank you. I’m Zuala.” Zuala seemed mostly amused by her presence, dropping her jacket on the couch and walking over to the kitchen, glancing back at Jester every few moments. “What are you doing here so early in the morning?”

 

“ _Well~_ ” Jester cleared her throat, putting down her pen from where she had been doodling dicks and other assorted objects in her sketchbook. “First, I really wanted to meet you. And second, I’ve been totally stuck and I was hoping maybe I’d be able to figure it out.”

 

“What are you stuck to?” Zuala squinted. “Or… stuck on?”

 

“I need a job, but I kind of suck at keeping a job. So I’ve been trying to brainstorm a different way to make money, but I can’t come up with _anything_.” She sighed theatrically, holding her head in her hands.

 

Yasha and Zuala looked at her for a moment before exchanging glances, neither jumping forward with some magical solution that would solve all her problems. Dang it.

 

“What about your roommates, do they have any ideas?” Yasha asked, going back to the kitchenette as the kettle began to whistle.

 

“I haven’t exactly… asked them for ideas?” Jester winced, tucking some hair behind her ear. “I’ve told them I’m working on getting a job but I haven’t really told them any details…”

 

“Would they not want to help you?” Zuala sat down in the other chair at the table, leaning backward and relaxing.

 

“I’m sure they would, cause they’re my friends and they’re awesome… I don’t know, they were both able to get jobs and not get fired, and Beau seemed like, surprised that she hasn’t been fired yet,which is dumb cause she’s great, so I just feel kinda…” She made a vague motion with her hands, waving her fingers in circles and puffing her cheeks out to add to the effect.

 

“I don’t think I understand.” Zuala said after a moment, and Jester sighed again, dropping her hands down to land on the pages of her open sketchbook. In her lap, Patch was nuzzling her head into her stomach, before apparently deciding that Jester’s affections were no longer adequate, kicking off her chair to land deftly on the ground and scampering towards Zuala, who absentmindedly scratched her on the head.

 

“Me neither.” Jester mumbled, slouching down in her chair. Picking up her pen, she began to tap it on the pages. “I just need an idea that could make me money. Something without a whole bunch of stupid rules.”

 

“Here you go.” Yasha walked up with two steaming mugs, placing one down in front of Jester and the other in front of Zuala, her hand brushing Zuala’s arm as she passed. The simple gesture of affection seemed to bring a smile to Zuala’s face, murmuring a ‘Thanks, angel’ as Yasha returned to the counter for a final mug, before walking a few feet towards the table and joining the conversation properly.

 

Feeling like her stomach was doing flips, Jester took a sip of hot chocolate, quickly remembering the ‘hot’ part of its name. Blowing on the rest of her mug and wondering if it was worth the magic to heal a burnt tongue, her eyes were firmly downcast when Zuala unexpectedly spoke again.

 

“Why don’t you try and start your own business? I’m not sure how well it would work, but it’s something.”

 

Jester blinked, the idea slowly taking shape in her mind. “My own business?”

 

Zuala nodded. “You’d just need something to sell. Like how Yasha sells some of our flowers.” She nodded towards her wife.

 

Yasha, for her part, nodded slowly, eyes widening ever so slightly. “What about your drawings? I’ve seen some of them in your sketchbook, they’re very nice.”

 

“My drawings?” Jester looked down at her sketchbook in a new light, suddenly reconsidering her entire life. Her drawings, she’d rarely done them for a purpose, and when she did, it was always spur of the moment. A captured expression, a silly doodle, a drawing of a friend. They were varied and private, usually only shared between her and the Traveler.

 

But to draw something for other people? For them to _buy_? Somehow, she’d never considered the possibility.

 

While her mind was busy being blown, Zuala had leaned forward, tilting her head to get a better look at some of the sketches Jester had been doing earlier that day. “Wow! You are a good artist. You’d probably be able to sell drawings. Or be one of those people who does caricatures.”

 

“Or maybe you could paint.” Yasha said. “People like to buy paintings, I think.”

 

“I’d buy a painting.” Zuala said. “What do you think, Jester, can you paint as well as draw?”

 

Sell paintings? Holy _shit_ , had she been sitting on untapped potential this entire time?

 

“I can paint.” She glanced up. “You two are geniuses!”

 

“We are?”

 

“Thanks?”

 

“That’s a perfect idea!” She jumped up, downing half her remaining hot chocolate in one go before running over to hug Yasha, then Zuala. Both of them tensed up in surprise but didn’t object, seeming slightly stunned by the sudden contact, and by the time they recovered, Jester had already let go. She rounded back to finish off the rest of her hot chocolate and scoop up her sketchbook, running towards the window and throwing it open with a flourish.

 

“Thank you so much! I’ll see you in a few days maybe!” She said over her shoulder, clambering out over the flowerbed again and half stepping half falling out onto the fire escape. “It was very nice to meet you, Zuala!”

 

“Nice to meet you too?” Zuala said, but the tiefling was already gone.

 

Until she wasn’t, her head poking back in for a final, “And thank you for the hot chocolate, Yasha! It was very delicious!” Before disappearing again.

 

In Yasha and Zuala’s apartment, the two woman stood or sat in silence for a few moments, looking at the window just in case Jester reappeared. When she didn’t, they glanced at each other.

 

“She seems nice.” Zuala said brightly, taking another sip of her hot chocolate.

 

Once again back on the ninth floor, Jester rolled through the window into the hallway, tiptoeing back to her apartment. She had to hold her sketchbook over her mouth to stop herself from giggling giddily as she passed by Fjord tossing and turning in his sleep.

 

The bedroom door creaked as she opened it, and Jester heard Beau stir, mumbling and murmuring about something she couldn’t decipher. Jester shrugged off her dressing gown, letting it fall on the floor and putting her sketchbook down on top, before trying to slip into bed as gently as she could.

 

“Jes?” Of course, with a bed as small as theirs, that was basically impossible.

 

“Hey Beau,” She whispered, still grinning. “Guess what?”

 

Beau’s voice was whispered and not at all enthused, rolling over so that her back was facing Jester. “What?”

 

“I found the most perfect job ever.”

 

“That’s great.”

 

“I can make drawings and paintings and then sell them!” Jester snuggled in close, ignoring Beau’s usual attempts to block her via putting the blanket in the way, simply sliding under the blanket. “Then I’ll be able to make lots of money.”

 

“Cool. Then you can buy me some earmuffs so I’ll never hear your alarm again. Please go to sleep.”

 

Jester’s smile widened, and she settled in, wrapping the blanket around her. “Okaaaay, then I’ll tell you about everything in the morning.”

 

“Sounds good.”

 

“Night, Beau.”

 

“Night, Jes.”

 

Jester closed her eyes, finally ready to start trying to go to sleep again. This was it, she knew it. The perfect idea. Beau would probably be more excited in the morning when she wasn’t tired, and so would Fjord when he heard about it. The Traveller would probably be super impressed too, and he was probably super impressed already, actually.

 

It would be great. She shuffled in just an inch or two closer to Beau, lying on her stomach so that her arm pressed up against Beau’s back. Beau didn’t immediately tense up like she used to for the first couple of weeks they’d shared this bed, and Jester slowly drifted off to sleep to the sound of their breathing, the muffled nightlife of the city a dim humming in the back of her mind.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [banging hands on table] SOFT WIVES SOFT WIVES SOFT WIVES WITH MANY CATS


	17. Fjord 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Jester is keeping Yasha company while she waters her friends plants in the early morning, before deciding to accompany her back down to her apartment to meet her wife. When she's down there she also meets one of their cats, before Zuala arrives home. They chat for a short while about their jobs, and Jester shares her inability to find or create a job that she enjoys. Zuala suggests starting her own business, and then perhaps selling her drawings and paintings, which Jester hadn't realised was a possibility. Excited, she races back home after saying goodbye.

He was underwater.

 

Pressure pushed down upon him, his limbs floating aimlessly as he sunk deeper into the depths. The water around him felt thick, tinged with a dark bluish-green light that was only getting darker by the second.

 

Shivers ran up his spine, energy zapping through his fingers like lightning with nowhere to go. He could breathe, felt himself take in the water but exhaling air, wobbling bubbles escaping his mouth to float languidly up to some distant, unidentifiable surface.

 

Simultaneously present and detached, it felt oddly peaceful, if only for a moment.

 

**` Watching. `` ` **

 

Until it wasn’t.

 

The voice boomed, coming from nowhere and everywhere. A yellowish tinge overtook the serene depths, and suddenly he could feel eyes on him, staring into him, through him, at him.

 

**` Potential. `` ` **

 

It was a deep voice, otherworldly and fuzzy around the edges as if it were speaking another language which he only barely understood. Each word echoed a hundred times over, his heart seizing in his chest, energy gathering at his fingertips.

 

Awareness edged at the back of his brain, and with it came panic.

 

**` Learn.  `` ` **

 

His lungs burned as water filled them, arms and legs beginning to thrash.

 

The yellow was everywhere now, mixed with green to create a horribly sickly tone that was advancing on him, crawling and curling around him like tentacles. His hands were glowing a brighter version of the yellowish-green that surrounded him, lighting up the ocean.

 

Bubbles were everywhere now, going in all directions, with no way to tell what was up or down.

 

**` Grow. `` ` **

 

A massive eye opened, a disgusting yellow with a thin slit for a pupil. It was enormous, a hundred times his size, bearing down on him.

 

All at once it felt like the pressure of a hundred oceans were on him, squeezing him tight. The water was alight with poisonous greens and yellows, the voice still echoing in his mind.

 

He screamed, but no sound came out.

 

* * *

 

 

Fjord woke up with a strangled cry, shooting up to a sitting position with one hand flying his chest.

 

He was cold. And damp.

 

His arms shaking, he breathed heavily, every inhale making his lungs burn as if he’d swallowed half the sea. Distantly he realised there was water dripping from his mouth, running down his chin and onto his clothes.

 

The room was bathed in a sickly green glow, the sky outside a little bit lighter than it was in the middle of the night, but still very dark.

 

“Fjord?”

 

His eyes flickered to the side, where he suddenly realised that Jester was standing just a few feet away in her soft silk pyjamas, hands held up like she wasn’t quite sure what to do with them, her tail flicking back and forth anxiously.

 

Beau was standing a little bit behind and to the side of her in a tank top and loose harem pants, eyes wide. Both of them were cast in the green glow, which just made them look haunting in the otherwise darkness of the apartment.

 

All at once, the glow snapped off like a lightbulb. Fjord saw the two women flinch, Beau starting to squint now to try and see in the darkness, while Jester took a hesitant step forward. “Are you alright?”

 

Fjord coughed again, realising he could still smell salt. It was a painfully familiar scent, one that took him right back to Port Damali, to all his years as a sailor, to the life he thought had had violently left behind. He didn't answer, wiping water from his chin.

 

“Dude, that’s messed up.” Beau sounded mostly confused and slightly uncertain, still hanging back while Jester came a little bit closer.

 

“I’m fine, Jester.” He mumbled, his lungs still feeling like they were on fire. But he could breathe again, taking in big gulps of air and slowly exhaling.

 

Usually with dreams, he found that the longer he was awake, the more distant they became, the details slipping from his mind. But this dream, this nightmare, it still clung to him, every single detail replaying with perfect clarity.

 

“Are you sure? You were making some _really_ weird sounds, and then you… vomited up water…” Jester tentatively reached out a hand, letting it rest on Fjord’s shoulder.

 

“That’s really not normal,” Beau said.

 

“No shit.” Fjord fixed her with a withering look which she probably couldn’t see properly, but she frowned anyway, folding her arms.

 

There was a beat of silence, Fjord bristling under their eyes until he shuffled himself out of the sleeping bag, brushing off Jester’s hand. “I… apologise if I woke you two up.”

 

“Hey, it’s the third time tonight. I might as well stay awake at this point.” Beau deadpanned, leaning against the wall and rubbing her eyes.

 

“It’s okay Fjord.” Jester stepped back as Fjord stood up, wringing her hands together. She bit her lip, hesitating for a moment. “… Do you wanna talk about it?”

 

Fjord shook his head, inhaling deeply and heading towards the hallway even though his legs felt like jelly. “I just need a shower.”

 

“Has that ever happened before? Is it because of your magic?” Beau lowered her voice a little as she asked the second question, stepping out of the way as Fjord got close.

 

“No. That’s… that’s never happened before.”

 

“Did it hurt? Do you need healing?” Jester followed him in the hallway, her hands raised.

 

“I’m fine, Jester. I’m not hurt.” He didn’t intend to sound snappy, but he was on edge, and from the way Jester’s face tightened, some of that must have come out in his voice. He wiped saltwater from the corner of his mouth, trying and failing to push the echoing voice from his mind. “I need a shower.”

 

There was another silence, but he didn’t look back as he strode into the bathroom, absently flicking the light on. Toothbrushes and other toiletries were crammed on to the small ledges around the basin, and Fjord gripped the edge, staring into the secondhand mirror Beau had found in a thrift store.

 

He looked the same. The same scars, the same skin, the same hair. So why did he feel so different?

 

Getting into the shower, for once he couldn’t care about how long he took, how much higher it might drive their water bill. He could still taste salt on his tongue, he still felt a cold pit in his stomach.

 

That nightmare… whatever it was, it was obvious enough that it was related to his burgeoning magic. When he tried, he was still able to make his hands glow, able to gather the energy to his fingertips.

 

There had to be an answer to what this all meant. There had to be some kind of guide, something for him to do. Watching. Potential. Learn.

 

His hand curled into a tight fist, smothering the flickering green energy on his fingers, evaporating into steam as water gushed over him. There had to be an answer.

 

When Fjord opened the bathroom door in his towel, he found a neatly folded set of clothes waiting at the door. He looked down at them for a moment, peering down the empty hallway before picking up the clothes and going back into the bathroom, deciding to ignore the realisation that either Jester or Beau (and he wasn’t sure which one would be worse) had gone through the box where he now kept his clothes in favour of being thankful that he wouldn’t have to walk in front of them in just a towel for very long.

 

Leaving the room in tan pants and a plain long-sleeved t-shirt, he inhaled and exhaled once before straightening himself up, holding his head high as he walked down the hallway back to the living room, early morning light beginning to brighten up the space.

 

Beau was perched on one of their dining table chairs with her legs pulled up, one eyebrow rising when she saw Fjord walk in. Jester was bustling in the kitchenette, humming to herself while pouring a bowl of cereal.

 

Neither of them said anything about what had happened, though Jester’s smile had a nervous tilt to it, and Fjord could feel Beau looking at him while he was turned away from her. So he cleared his throat, lightly asking them about their plans for the day, which was thankfully enough to get Jester to launch into a story about what she had done the previous night while she’d been bothering hanging out with Yasha.

 

“- _So,_ basically I’m going to sell my art, and then I’ll be able to earn lots of money, but first I’ll need a new sketchbook so I can keep the stuff I’m going to keep and the stuff I’m going to sell separate, so I’ll be going to go buy that today!” Jester finally finished after a solid five minutes of storytelling, which included two minutes of describing Yasha and Zuala’s apartments, and also how pretty Zuala was and how adorable her cat was.

 

Fjord was pretty sure Beau had been far more intrigued by that conversation that he had been, but Jester seemed satisfied by his nodding, turning to him with a brighter and more genuine smile on her face. “What about you, Fjord? What will you be doing before you have work?”

 

Scratching the back of his neck, Fjord shrugged. “I don’t really have that much planned. Probably try to catch up on some sleep.”

 

“Maybe you can come with me!”

 

Fjord was prepared to politely decline, only to look up at Jester, whose face was the absolute picture of eagerness. Her smile was bright and wide, hands clasped together. His gaze slid to Beau, who looked more like she wanted to go back to sleep, but knew she was too awake at this point for it to do any good.

 

Hell, maybe a day outside was what he needed. At least it might keep them from worrying too much.

 

“Sure, why not.” He said, and he felt a little more sure about that decision when he saw how wide Jester beamed, and she went back to eating her breakfast with renewed vigour.

 

It was a slow morning for them, taking their time to eat and get ready for the day, looking up places in the city that might sell sketchbooks. The good kind, according to Jester. By the time they were both ready, Beau was doing pushups on the ground, not having to leave for the library for another hour to two.

 

“Bye Beau! We’ll be back before you get home!” Jester waved as they walked towards the door, and Beau paused in her pushups, lowering herself into a planking position and looking up at them.

 

“Oh, yeah, I’m gonna be late back. You don’t need to wait up or anything for me.” She said nonchalantly.

 

“Ooh, what will you be doing?” Jester teased, waggling her eyebrows.

 

Beau smirked smugly, before shrugging her shoulders as best she could from her current position. “Not much. Breaking into a house, stealing some shit, who knows.”

 

“Riiiight.” Fjord drawled, rolling his eyes as he walked out the door. “Don’t get arrested.”

 

“Mmkay.”

 

He locked the door behind him after Jester had left the apartment, beginning to make their way down the stairs. “I wonder what she’s actually doing. This’ll be the third time.”

 

“I bet she’s getting _laid_ ~” Jester grinned, nudging Fjord in the ribs with surprising strength. “She obviously can’t bring anyone over to the apartment soooo…” Her voice trailed off as she let her suggestive eyebrow waggling do the rest of the talking.

 

Feeling his cheeks flush, Fjord huffed and cleared his throat. “ _Right_ , well, okay then.”

 

Jester linked her arm with his as they walked along the streets, keeping up a steady chattering as she described exactly what kind of art book she was looking for. Not too big, not too small, some kind of special paper that Fjord had never heard of before, something _perfect_.

 

She didn’t seem to have the most solid idea on how she was going to make the leap from making art to selling it, but she was excited about it, and that was good enough for him. Between his and Beau’s income, they could afford Jester trying something a little experimental.

 

If she noticed that he rarely spoke beyond the appropriate ‘oh’s and ‘really?’s as she talked, she didn’t draw attention to it. But as time drew on and they visited two separate stores, looking at what felt like a hundred different sketchbooks that were all soundly rejected, he could sense her glancing his way every now and then, mouth pinched with worry.

 

At the same time, his mind was racing. Perhaps… perhaps Jester would have an idea on how to help. She did know at least a kind of magic, after all.

 

“Hey Jester, you talk to your Traveller friend, right?” He asked casually, keeping an eye on anyone who might be listening in.

 

“Yeah, all the time.” Jester was squinting between two identical-looking sketchbooks, before looking up at him, eyebrows knitting together. “Why?”

 

“Just wondering.” He shrugged loosely, before clearing his throat and dropping his voice a few decibels. “What kind of ways do you talk to him?”

 

Jester frowned a little as if she couldn’t quite follow where the conversation was going, humming to herself for a few moments before answering. “Usually I just… talk to him. I like to do it while I’m drawing because then I can tell him about it and sometimes he’ll talk a little while I’m pulling a prank or something…”

 

“So you’re awake? He doesn’t… he doesn’t show up in your dreams or anything?”

 

“No. I mean, I’ve dreamt _about_ him, but he’s never like… properly shown up or anything. I think.” The sketchbooks were placed back on the shelf, and now Jester was looking up at him with concern. “Fjord, are you sure you’re-”

 

“It’s fine.” He said quickly, plastering a half-smile on his face. “I mean, we already knew my… new talents were weird, right? Figures it’s got atypical ways of showing itself.”

 

Jester seemed unconvinced. “I guess. Have you tried looking it up? Or maybe Caleb will know something.”

 

“I’ve tried doing some research, but all I got were a bunch of myths and legends. I figured the Academy would be a more reliable source of figuring all this out, but they don't exactly take in random people off the street.” He scratched the back of his neck, wishing not for the first time that all of this had a simple answer.

 

“I’m sure you’ll get it eventually.” Jester shot him a winning smile, putting a hand on his shoulder. “You’re real smart, you know?”

 

“Thanks, Jester.”

 

They continued on their search for the perfect sketchbook, which led them through three more stores before they found something that suited Jester’s exact specifications.

 

Personally, Fjord didn’t see the difference between the selected book and the half a million others that had been rejected, but he was wise enough not to say that out loud. Jester was practically over the moon on the way home, even if they had to try and figure out the subway to get there quicker. They were getting the hang of the city’s public transport, but Fjord wished they had a car as another way around the city that didn’t rely on timetables.

 

Jester’s advice mulled around in his head for much of the rest of the day, even as he began thinking about getting ready for his shift at work, which he already knew was going to be a nightmare thanks to only getting about three hours of sleep the previous night.

 

The tiefling herself disappeared to her and Beau’s bedroom, presumably to start making sketches and drawings to sell. Based on the music that was soon emanating from the room, she seemed to have a pretty good handle on it, which left Fjord to his own devices.

 

Which somehow led to him knocking on the door to Apartment A at five o clock, when he knew Caleb’s shift would be over.

 

There was a pause before the door cracked open, and Fjord could see Caleb looking at him curiously over the deadbolt.

 

“Fjord. May I help you?” Caleb undid the deadbolt and opened the door a fraction wider, not wide enough that he would be able to step inside, but not so closed that it seemed like he was being shut out.

 

“Can I talk to you?” Fjord felt supremely awkward standing there in the hallway asking a man he barely knew for advice, though he managed to hide it pretty well. Caleb, for his part, did not seem particularly enthused either but was either too awkward, too polite or both to tell him to go away.

 

“I would have to know what you’d like to talk to me about if I am going to be able to offer any assistance.” Caleb’s voice was not quite monotonous and not quite stilted but something that veered very close to both of those things.

 

“Magic.”

 

There was a beat, as both men just stared at each other. Then Caleb slowly opened the door, stepping further inside the apartment. “Please close the door after you.”

 

Fjord did as instructed, even slipping the deadbolt back in its place. It was the first time he’d actually stepped foot in the apartment rather than glancing in from the outside, and it looked… about as he expected. Filled with books, a little musty, with bunches of trinkets just laying around. Presumably, there was some kind of method to the madness, but he had no idea what it was.

 

Caleb sat down at a circular table, and Fjord had to remove a stack of pillows from the only other available chair before sitting down as well. He noticed Caleb’s orange cat slinking around the table legs, but was surprised to find that his nose didn’t itch a bit.

 

“Huh.” Caleb followed his eyes down to the cat but said nothing. Fjord shook his head, pushing away the question for how his allergies were suddenly non-existent and focusing on what he was actually here for.

 

“Okay. Jester said you know about magic, right?” He began, and Caleb slowly nodded. “Do you know about… the different ways magic can be acquired?”

 

“There are… a few different ways. Usually through great amounts of study.”

 

“Let’s say I’ve done absolutely zero study. What’s a way I’d be able to get magic?” Fjord said bluntly, tapping his fingers on the table to make his point.

 

“There could be a few ways… Do you pray very heavily to a god?”

 

“Nope.”

 

“Does your family have any strange or magical ancestors that you know of?”

 

“I have no idea. Maybe?”

 

“Do you really like plants?”

 

“What?”

 

“…Do you play an instrument very, very well?”

 

“That’s a joke, right?”

 

Caleb frowned, looking at him closely. “Beyond that… magic is very hard to gain. Very, very hard, very unverified and I am no expert in magic beyond regular arcane means. I do not know if I am able to help you.”

 

Fjord hadn’t realised he’d been holding out for a better answer than that until he felt his heart sink.

 

“Right. Yeah, okay. I figured it would a bit of a long shot. Maybe the Academy will be able to help me then.” He chuckled mirthlessly, not noticing the way Caleb suddenly stiffened, his eyes hardening.

 

“The… Soltryce Academy?”

 

“That’s the one. They’re like, the experts on magic, right?”

 

Caleb was silent for a long, heavy moment. “I suppose they are. You are wanting to seek their help?”

 

Fjord nodded, sensing some kind of shift but not quite able to pick up on what it was. Frumpkin jumped up onto Caleb’s lap, the man’s hands automatically making their way to stroke through his fur almost aimlessly. “If they can’t help me, I don’t know who can.”

 

“I… I am not sure if they can.”

 

“Why not?” Fjord frowned. “What do you know about them?”

 

Caleb wasn’t making eye contact, his eyes firmly fixed on a small stain on the table. “I have heard things. Rumours. They do not… they do not know everything. There is plenty of magic and history that has been lost to time that they wish to uncover again. If someone comes along who may be a key to doing that, they may not… treat them kindly.”

 

“What, you’re saying they’d… experiment on me? Or something like that?” Fjord clenched his hands into fists, his head spinning to try and decide whether this new information was trustworthy or not.

 

The whole reason he’d come to Zadash was for the Academy. If they were untrustworthy, then what was he supposed to do?

 

“I do not know.” Caleb’s voice was quiet. “I… I cannot tell you what to do. But I would advise against going to the Academy.”

 

He didn’t know what to make of this. A conversation that he’d hoped would give him something of a path had instead left him more confused than ever. Hell, how was he supposed to know that Caleb was trustworthy? Just because they were neighbours?

 

“Can I ask where you got these rumours from?”

 

Caleb glanced up at him, still rubbing circles in Frumpkin’s fur. He looked weary, suddenly so much older than he probably actually was. “Old friends of mine. Friends who went to the Academy.”

 

Right. Well. Alright then.

 

“Okay. I’ll… keep that in mind.” He stood up and left the apartment, rubbing his temples.

 

Caleb had to be lying, that was the only option. The Academy was known for being rigorous, perhaps his friends had failed out, reacting by spreading rumours. But why would Caleb lie? There wasn’t anything for him to gain from it, surely. People almost always did something for a reason, and Caleb didn’t appear to be the rare person who did occasionally do things for _no_ reason.

 

Running a hand through his hair, Fjord fell back on the couch, staring up at the ceiling.

 

After a few moments, he pulled his phone from his pocket, turning it on. Perhaps the internet would have something else to say about rumours from the Soltryce Academy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [gesturing vaguely to the chapter above] don't worry! Some of this will end up turning out alright!!!! 
> 
> also wizards are the most popular magic-users, but most of the other kinds are at least documented, and a few of each still exist. Just not as much or as easily as in regular canon, and Most People are stuck in the early levels forever lmao. 
> 
> Warlocks tho are straight-up myths at this point rip fjord


	18. Beau 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Fjord has a nightmare from a strange being that wakes up the entire apartment. He brushes off Beau and Jester's concern and has a shower, wishing there was some kind of answer as to what is happening to him. He accompanies Jester out to the city to buy sketchbooks to appear normal and asks Jester about how she received her magic, and she suggests talking to Caleb about it, which Fjord decides to do. Caleb runs through all the typical ways to receive magic, none of which apply to Fjord as far as he knows, which frustrates him. He then mentions the Soltryce Academy, and Caleb warns him against seeking them out for help, citing vague rumours, which Fjord isn't sure whether to believe or not.

Up until this point, Beau had only had relatively brief brushes with organised crime. There had been that gang in Kamordah, which really only amounted to one actual dealer and a circle of stupid teenagers he was going to pin the crimes on if he ever got caught. In the years since she’d left the Institute, there’d been a couple of times she’d interacted with the criminal side of any particular town, but never for very long. Pull a job in exchange for some cash or a place to spend the night, then she’d be gone.

 

None of them really compared to the Gentleman’s ring. He was organised, armed, and had his entire system down pat. She’d been called up to break into some random person’s house or keep watch on a rooftop three times, and it was a slick operation. Show up at a certain time, head out at a certain time, get in, get out, report back.

 

She didn’t know for certain what would happen if anyone fucked up, but he probably had half a dozen plans for that too. No one got as comfortable in crime as he clearly was without contingencies for the contingencies.

 

It was impressive and slightly intimidating.

 

“Alright newbie, you’re on lookout.” A human man with thick, dark and unkempt hair pointed at her, throwing up the hood on his jacket.

 

Beau rolled her eyes, trying to hide how being called ‘newbie’ made her bristle. They knew her actual name (the shortened version anyway), they just couldn’t be fucked using it. But she knew complaining would probably just make it worse.

 

“Got it.” She mock-saluted the man, who she knew from listening to the others talk was named Therad, before stepping back to survey the best lookout spot.

 

They were just outside the Signet Wall, on the outskirts of northern Zadash, in a street that seemed to hover the line between middle and lower class. The buildings were tall and thin, pressed close together with alleyways just barely wide enough to fit a fire escape. But they were sturdily built at least.

 

The other two members of what Beau loosely referred to as her crew — that is, the losers who the Gentleman had saddled with her until he decided whether she was halfway trustworthy or not — were pulling up their own hoods and masks that covered the bottom half of their faces. One, another human man with a warm brown complexion and a good foot and a half of height on Beau, was named Louis. The other, a brunette halfling woman named Hannah, had been the happiest to have Beau join them on their ‘intel-gathering’ missions. It was only a slight improvement upon the other two, but it was something.

 

Beau sidled into one of the alleyways while the others split off to another to find a window they could break into. The streets were quiet, anyone who was around too busy minding their own business and hurrying home to pay attention to them.

 

It didn’t take her long to get up to the roof of the building, doing a few laps just to get a lay of the land before settling down close to the front, jacket zipped tight and hood pulled up. Glancing up, the night sky above her was cloudy, but she wouldn’t have been able to see the stars anyway.

 

She didn’t mind. She’d spent far too many lonely nights looking up at stars to derive any comfort from it. Looking down, she focused her eyes on the streets around her, listening for any sign of trouble. Trouble being sirens coming towards them. Absent-mindedly, she began flicking the top half of the flip phone up and down, breathing in the slightly smoggy air and wondering what Jester and Fjord were doing.

 

Fjord would be at work by now, stocking shelves or whatever it was he did there. It didn’t seem particularly exciting for him, but Fjord seemed to be one of those odd people who seemed to enjoy jobs like those, one that involved lots of repetitive tasks and probable delegation.

 

Or maybe Beau was the odd one, for not enjoying that kind of work. Considering she was currently sitting on top of a roof watching out for police while her coworkers broke into a home and intimidated anyone inside into handing over some object of set of documents that she wasn’t allowed to know the details of, that was probably the more likely situation.

 

But hey, she liked excitement. Even working at the library had the opportunity for some fun, like snooping around some of the books that the public generally wasn’t supposed to access.Sitting on a roof was boring, but at least there was the possibility of something interesting happening, plus the inherent adrenaline of doing something illegal.

 

Jester, she wasn’t so sure about. She and Fjord had probably had dinner together before he’d left for work, so Jester could be doing just about anything. Maybe she was hanging out with Nott (she wouldn’t be surprised if the goblin had found some new conspiracy to occupy her time with, dragging Jester along for the ride) or that firbolg or someone else on the floor.

 

Or maybe she was drawing dicks on their wall out of boredom. Again. The thought of it made Beau smirk, only to be snapped out of her musings by the sharp sound of tires squealing from harshly applied brakes.

 

Peering over the edge of the roof, Beau saw a truck haphazardly parked outside the very building she was on top of, a small gaggle of menacing-looking people piling out. Oh boy, those were metal bats. They did not look like Gentleman’s people.

 

A normal person probably would’ve been pissed, at at least a little nervous. Beau was just thankful for relief from the drudgery.

 

Texting a warning message to Hannah took only a moment, telling them to either head out the back or get ready for a fight. She may have been silently hoping for the latter, just a little bit.

 

She stayed on the roof just long enough to see the goons break through the front door (far less stealthily than Hannah and the others had done) before vaulting down the fire escape and climbing from windowsill to windowsill to the back of the building, where there was a very small gap between it and the back of another building, with narrow alleyways on either side intersecting.

 

A thin wooden door was the only exit on the ground floor, and Beau stood a good ten feet away, fists raised just in case. She heard a muffled shout and stifled curses, followed by loud footsteps that were getting closer and closer. After a few more moments, the door burst open, Hannah, Louis, and Therad stumbling through it. Behind them, Beau could hear even more footsteps.

 

The trio brushed past her without so much as a thank you for her excellent warning and lookout skills, and Beau followed them down the alleyway through to the other side of the block.

 

Only to discover another truck full of goons getting out. Which wasn’t exactly ideal.

 

Luckily, these new goons weren’t quite prepared for them, which meant Beau had a full three seconds of ass-kicking before they got their shit together and started fighting back. Louis joined in while Hannah and Therad bolted, about half the goons chasing after them while the others went after her and Louis.

 

Adrenaline pounded in her brain as she fought, sliding over the hood of the truck to kick one of the guys in the face. There were about five of them in all, two of them already on the ground thanks to the slight surprise they’d managed to get. Louis had one of the others in a headlock, while Beau dodged swings from the other two, already nursing a hit to the hip that she knew was going to bruise horrifically by the morning, and a few other scrapes and bruises.

 

One of the goons reared up to try and nail her on the head and she pivoted as the metal bat came down, catching his arm as it came down and twisting it sharply, catching the bat with her other hand as he instinctively let go of it, howling in pain.

 

Clocking the guy in the ribs sent him to the ground, curling in on himself and regretting his life choices.

 

Beau took barely a second to catch her breath before she heard movement behind her, ducking just quickly enough to avoid a blow to the head that would probably give her brain damage, but not quite quick enough to dodge entirely, the bat clipping the top of her head with a sharp pain.

 

She swung back blindly, hitting nothing but managing to reorient herself, spinning to face this final goon.

 

He was already looking kind of rough, dark bruises beginning to form on his arms, but he seemed to be getting more pissed the longer this went on.

 

Beau grinning, tasting blood in her mouth from a split lip, holding her bat up like she was playing baseball.

 

The man scowled, surveying her for a moment with heaving shoulders. He wielded his own bat more like he was playing cricket, held down low to try and sweep her legs out from underneath her, where he’d have a far easier time beating her into the ground. Yeah, as if she’d let that happen.

 

She charged, jumping over a swing and slamming him in the shoulders. He swung up and struck her ribs with a fierce crack, which probably wasn’t a good sign. Dull pain ebbed through her, temporarily muffled by the energy that was pumping through her.

 

Only a few more hits and he was on the ground, Beau turning with one hand holding her ribs to see Louis had successfully chocked his guy into unconsciousness (at the very least) and was sighing, looking in the direction Therad and Hannah had ran.

 

A phone call a few minutes later confirmed that the two runaways had successfully escaped with whatever cargo they’d retrieved from the building, and all of them reconvened back at the Evening Nip a little past midnight.

 

By then, the adrenaline had thoroughly left her system, the high of getting into a real fight deserting her in favour of ‘oh shit I’m hurt I need to lie down’. But since she wasn’t about to go ask for a nap in the Evening Nip, she instead took her leave as soon as they were told their mission was complete, starting the unfortunately lengthy walk back home.

 

Her legs felt like they were about to fall off when she was still a block away and by the time she reached her apartment she wasn’t entirely convinced she hadn’t collapsed about five minutes ago. A light had been left on in the living room, and distantly Beau wondered about the power bill, before deciding she didn’t care.

 

She stumbled into the bathroom with about as much stealth as she could manage at this point, every step feeling like a nail was being driven into her lungs.

 

Blinking blearily at the mirror, she realised the bottom half of her face was basically smeared with blood, some of it streaked on her cheeks and forehead as well from where she had absently wiped her hands at some point.

 

Her jacket slipped off and fell to the ground in a heap, and Beau lifted up her tank top, wincing at the bruises that were already beginning to turn blue, painting her torso, Perhaps she ought to invest in thicker clothes to wear on these assignments.

 

A shower only made her exhaustion seep deeper into her bones, the pain a deep-seated buzz that pushed against the back of her spine and up into her neck. But it got rid of the blood, at least.

 

She pushed open the bedroom door as quietly as she could, hoping that she hadn’t woken up Jester. For a few moments she thought she’d succeeded, but then she heard the tiefling moan and roll over, one arm coming up to rub at her eyes.

 

“Mmm- Beau? Is that you?”

 

“Shit.” Beau gave up on being quiet — it took far more mental energy than she had right now anyway — and walked the rest of the way to her side of the bed, slowly lowering herself down onto it. “Sorry.”

 

“Where’d you go?” Jester yawned, not seeming entirely awake. “I called you like… three times.”

 

“Oh.” Beau distantly remembered feeling her phone vibrate a few times while she’d been out, but had either been busy beating people up, getting beat up, or just not paying attention to notice. She’d never really had anyone call her before, so the thought of it hadn’t crossed her mind. “Sorry.”

 

“I was worried.” Jester’s voice sounded pouty, and Beau slowly laid down, trying to ignore the pangs of guilt that sprung up from that.

 

“Sorry.” She repeated, biting back a hiss as her ribs touched the mattress. They probably needed wrapping, she’d have to get up again and find those bandages she kept in her backpack.

 

“That’s a lot of sorry’s.” Jester rolled over, as Beau tried to get up again, already regretful she hadn’t remembered to wrap her ribs before she got into bed. “You’re hurt.” She sounded surprised.

 

“Nah, I’m fine.”

 

Jester sounded a lot more awake now. “Your stomach. It’s got bruises on it.”

 

Shit. Maybe she should’ve just stayed in bed and called it a night. She could’ve wrapped her ribs in the morning. “No it doesn’t.”

 

There was a short silence, but Beau could’ve sworn she _heard_ Jester frowning. “I guess you wouldn’t mind if I poked it then.”

 

“Okay, do it.” Beau froze where she currently perched on the edge of the bed, half her brain already in agony over the idea of her tender injuries being poked and the other half yelling at her not to back down now.

 

“I’m not going to do that. Beau, are you okay?” There was another pause before Jester continued, this time with a hint of curiosity. “Did you get in a fight?”

 

“Maybe.” Distantly Beau wondered what would happen if she just told the truth. In a way, she _had_ told the truth, that she’d joined a crime gang, but she was pretty sure Fjord and Jester didn’t believe her. But just getting in a fight? That was apparently right within the realm of believability.

 

In any case, right now Beau was tired enough that she fell back on her most basic instincts. Deflect, deny, deceive.

 

She could feel Jester shuffling a little closer, and she held her breath, ignoring the pain in her chest. Jester’s cool fingers brushed just above her hip, and then suddenly the room was aglow with a blue-green light.

 

Jester’s touch was light, lingering over each bruise for barely a moment, but Beau felt her heart constrict with every tap, every second of contact. She sat still, and Jester said nothing, not even making eye contact. In the dull glow of the healing magic, Beau could see her expression.

 

She looked sad. Worried. Concerned. No one had really looked that way at her before. _For_ her. For some reason, she couldn’t stop staring.

 

When Jester stopped, the pain had ebbed to a dull weight in her stomach, still present, but easily ignored. But the rest of her felt like it was lighter than air.

 

“I didn’t think you’d be gone so long,” Jester’s voice was soft and quiet, and in the darkness Beau felt her fingers curl around hers, hesitant.

 

The ensuing quiet hung in the air, weighed down by exhaustion and words unsaid, an uncertainness drifting around them.

 

“I didn’t know there was a curfew.” She was surprised at how quiet her own voice was, the words carrying no vitriol, just an ingrained response. Jester huffed lightly, not seeming very offended.

 

“Alright then, you can go and get beat up every night if you want to. But I won’t heal you every night.”

 

“I’m not gonna get beat up every night.” Beau eased herself back down into bed, fumbling for blankets for a few moments while Jester shuffled a bit closer to her.

 

“Good,” Jester murmured. “I don’t like seeing my friends hurt.”

 

It took a moment for the words to break through Beau’s ears, her eyelids quickly fluttering shut and her limbs feeling like lead weights. But she felt a pang of warmth mixed with guilt anyway.

 

“Sorry.”

 

“Don’t be sorry. Just don’t get hurt, okay?”

 

“I’ll try.”

 

“Okay… night, Beau.”

 

“g’night…” She’s fading fast, and sleep is quick to claim her, but the last things she feels before it does is Jester’s arm looping around hers, fingers gently brushing her cheeks, and the last thing she thinks is how nice and soft it feels.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> me, taking a sip of my drink: it's about... the softness


	19. Jester 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau is out on a job for the Gentleman, as a lookout while a few others break into a house and steal something. Trouble arrives while Beau is on lookout and a fight ensues, which Beau and her coworkers win, albeit not without some minor injuries. Successful regardless, Beau returns to the apartment only to accidentally wake up Jester, who notices Beau's injuries and is immediately concerned, healing them up and asking Beau about what happened. Beau doesn't give her many details, but when Jester asks her to try and not get hurt so much, she agrees, falling asleep with Jester's arm around her.

Jester hummed a song to herself as she strolled through the streets of Zadash, heading towards the park with an easel, a big sketchbook and a bag filled with all the art supplies she had, most of which she’d brought from Nicodranas but some which she’d bought for this very purpose.

 

Next to her, Nott strode along with not as much pep in her step, squinting critically at anyone who walked near and keeping her hood up. Her jumper was so long and big it trailed beneath her knees, and she had a backpack that may have once been patterned with cartoon characters or something but had been crudely painted over so that it was a dull brown and black, almost camouflage-patterned, rattling lightly as they walked.

 

Once they got to the park they took another few minutes selecting the perfect spot for the day. For Jester, that meant a place with the nicest view that was still in close distance of the nearest bakery so that they could maybe grab snacks later. For Nott, it meant a place with the most distracted people around.

 

They found a spot at the top of a small rise, one which overlooked an artificial pond that many families, couples and joggers liked to gather around. Jester set up her easel and supplies, along with a sign that she’d made with Beau’s help. It was plain cardboard that Beau had painted white and written ‘Will Paint/Draw For Money’ on and Jester had drawn cartoon swirls, love hearts and dicks around.

 

Simple, effective, and to the point. It was perfect.

 

“Alright, I’m off.” Nott adjusted the straps on her backpack so that was perfectly secure on her back, stretching her fingers and cracking her knuckles. “If the police ask about me, we never met.”

 

“Got it. I have no idea who you are, random stranger.” Jester winked and held up her hand in an ‘okay’ sign. Nott’s face cracked into a crooked smile before she turned around and jogged down the hill, soon slipping behind people and disappearing into the crowds. It was an uncommonly warm day for the second week of winter, probably the last warm day they’ll have for a while, so there were lots of people roaming about the park.

 

Once she was properly set up, Jester pursed her lips at the blank canvas in front of her, end of the paintbrush tapping at her chin. It stared back at her, just waiting to be painted on and then hopefully sold. Luckily, there was no shortage of inspiration.

 

Today she found herself thinking of one town that she and Fjord had passed through on their way to Zadash before they’d met Beau. She couldn’t remember the name of the town, but it had had a big hill on the outskirts, just behind the motel that they’d stayed in. At the top of the hill had been a tall cherry tree, its branches outstretched and gnarled by age. Pink and orange leaves dominated the branches, and when the sun began to set its light filtered through the leaves, casting brilliant glows into the room she and Fjord had been staying in. Jester had never seen anything like it, and the pictures she’d taken on her phone didn’t do the actual scene justice. But perhaps her paintbrush could.

 

With the image in mind, she began to paint, humming to herself as the image slowly began to take shape. Every now and then a few people would wander over to take a look, some dropping a few coins into a bowl that Fjord had suggested she bring along. Twice while she was still working on it people interrupted her to ask her to draw something specific, like a bird or themselves, paying her larger amounts of money while she was done.

 

It was relaxing in some ways, and exhilarating in other ways. Jester had always loved showing off her art to anyone who was interested, but it was a different experience entirely to actually have her entire process on display, with total strangers able to walk up whenever they pleased and take a look. There was a swell of satisfied pride every time she heard the clink of coins dropping into her bowl or compliments from passersby, like how she felt whenever the Traveller congratulated her on a prank well done.

 

The feeling had yet to subside even though she’d been doing this for a while, and Jester had long decided that this was _far_ better than whatever other jobs she might have been able to find.

 

She was nearly finished with the painting, not quite a perfect replica of the tree she’d seen from her motel room but something close, the colours more vivid and the light even brighter than it had been in real life when a couple approached her and asked how much the finished product would be. A few short minutes of haggling later got them to a nice twenty gold notes, more than enough to reimburse the amount of paint she’d used and have some profit.

 

And so the day passed calmly in much the same way, Jester managing to finish and sell two more complete paintings, alongside half a dozen drawings. There was paint all over her hands, and as the park crowd began to thin out she packed up all her supplies. It was just nearing five o clock now, meaning Beau would probably be home and Fjord would be awake by the time she got back to the apartment, and all three of them would be able to have dinner together, which Jester always enjoyed.

 

Halfway through packing up her easel Nott didn’t so much arrive as she did appear, tapping Jester on the elbow and looking very pleased with herself. Her pockets were noticeably more packed than they had been when Jester had last seen her, and she didn’t even look out of breath.

 

“How was it?” Jester asked as the two of them made their way along the Pentamarket, chomping on donuts Jester had bought with some of her earnings today that would definitely fuck up her appetite for dinner but come on, it was _donuts_.

 

“Excellent.” Nott was still very chuffed, her ears pricked upwards and her head held higher than usual. “I found a whole comb in a bush, it’s got little gemstones in it and everything. And I found like four bracelets just on the ground like people are so bad at securing those things properly, and there was this one lady with a _really_ pretty ring and she looked super pissy and she got so mad when she noticed it was gone she actually yelled at her husband. Which I think is really rude of her.”

 

“Oh, super rude.” Jester nodded along, ‘ooh’ing politely when Nott showed off the ring, only holding it out for a few seconds before tucking it safely back in a pocket. “I think we both had super good days then, I made so much money, this is the best!”

 

“It’s cause we’re the best,” Nott said smugly, finishing off her donut with one big bite. “We’re just that amazing.”

 

“Definitely~” Jester grinned, hefting her bag full of supplies a little higher onto her shoulders, already thinking about how impressed Fjord and Beau would be when they saw how much money she’d gotten today. She had her own column in their Money Book now for her to keep track of her earnings and how much they had overall. Most of Fjord’s paycheck went towards rent with Beau’s taking care of the rest of the bills and groceries. Which meant everything Jester earned went towards everything else that helped make their lives more comfortable, and their savings. And donuts.

 

It was all very calculated and a bit complicated, but Beau had proven surprisingly good at keeping track of everything, muttering something about being good at maths when Jester had complimented her on it.

 

They passed by a storefront, and Jester noticed a young half-elven girl standing in the window, hanging up golden stars on a string, surrounded a sign that read ‘New Dawn Sale: Up To 50% Off From 2nd Horisal!’ in bright and bold letters.

 

“Jester?” Nott cleared her throat after speaking up, and Jester suddenly realised she’d slowed down, so much that Nott was now quite a few paces in front of her. The goblin followed her gaze towards the storefront, one eyebrow raising before she whistled lowly. “Oooh, a sale. Probably still ten notes for a napkin, I bet.”

 

“Oh, yeah.” Jester shook her head lightly, beginning to walk again. “Yeah, no, sales are good. I was just thinking about New Dawn.”

 

“New Dawn is great. They close up all the shops for the day, have a big parade, so many people, hardly any of them paying attention to _me_ , great for business.” Nott shrugged her shoulders, tucking some hair behind her ears.

 

“They have a parade in Nicodranas too. With big floats and parties, and people make offerings to the Changebringer. I think.” Jester rubbed circles in the straps of her bag, smiling lightly at the memories of the parades she’d been able to watch.

 

“They don’t have anything for the Changebringer here. New Dawn’s all about it being a new year, another year the Empire’s been around and everything. All pretty patriotic. Very loud.” Nott dropped her voice a little when she mentioned the Changebringer, squinting around before settling when they received no strange glances. Well, more strange glances than usual.

 

“They had really nice music at our parades. My Mama would always host a cool party too, and then she’d have a special dinner with me and some of the other workers that didn’t go celebrate with their families, and it was always so nice.” Jester’s smile stayed strong for a few moments, before a thought crossed her mind and it wavered, her eyebrows knitting together. “I won’t be able to do it with her this year.”

 

She could feel Nott’s eyes on her, and for a few moments silence hung between them.

 

Hmm. New Dawn without her mother. Somehow, the realisation hadn’t really sunk in until now. She was going to miss lots of holidays with her Mama, wasn’t she?

 

“You’ll just have to do it with us this year, then.” Nott finally said, her voice a little more measured than usual. “Last time, Caleb and I went out and found some nice books together on sale the next day.”

 

“That sounds really nice.” Jester smiled, feeling the weight of her phone in her pocket, the only link she had to her mother. Maybe she’d be able to video chat her for a little while, or send her lots of pictures and texts and it would be great. It wouldn’t be the same, but perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad. Perhaps celebrating with other people would be just as fun! “Are you planning on doing the same thing?”

 

“Not sure yet. We don’t really plan it, we just saved up a little extra money and looked at what we needed.” Nott pulled up her hood, digging her hands into her pockets as the late afternoon breezes began to blow through.

 

“Hmm… What about a party? Us, Beau, Fjord- ooh, we could invite Caduceus and Yasha and Zuala too! Wouldn’t that be fun? Like a whole Floor Nine New Dawn party!” Jester’s eyes widened, clapping her hands together.

 

“Yasha and Zuala are on floor eight.”

 

“Shhh, we can still invite them! We could make a special dinner and watch the fireworks — do they have fireworks here? — and we could all hang out and it would be so fun! Don’t you think?” She grinned at Nott, who hummed to herself for a moment, but appearing very much on board with the idea.

 

“It’s been a long time since I’ve had a really big New Dawn party…” She frowned for a moment, before glancing up at Jester and matching her grin. “I like it! We could even sneak up to the roof and have a party up there! Unless it’s like, snowing or something, then it might be super cold. Maybe we could go up to the roof just to see the fireworks, and then go inside.”

 

The two of them shot ideas back and forth between each other, comparing different New Dawn traditions they’d had in their youth or heard about at some point or another. It kept them happily occupied until they got back to the apartment, barely even noticing the nine-floor climb, and promising to figure out more details via text later on, after they’d talked to their respective roommates about it.

 

Fjord was standing in front of the stove when Jester walked in, with Beau hovering over his shoulder and complaining about how long pasta took to cook every few seconds. Fjord didn’t look up when the door closed, wholly engrossed in ignoring Beau and keeping an eye on his cooking, but Beau glanced her way, perking up immediately.

 

“Jes! Look, c’mere, this pasta is ready, right?” Beau waved her over, looping an arm around her shoulder when she got close, standing on the tips of her toes to peer over Fjord. “It looks so ready.”

 

“It is _not_ ready, if you think I’m going to serve stiff pasta you’ve got another thing coming.” Fjord grumbled, before finally tilting his head upwards. “Hey Jester, how was your day?”

 

“Totally amazing!” Jester beamed, puffing her chest out a little. “I made _so_ much money you guys. _And_ , me and Nott had a super cool idea for New Dawn!”

 

Jester strode away from the kitchenette, placing her bags down on the chair before spinning around to present her idea. Beau had followed her for a few steps — to the great relief of Fjord — with an interested look on her face, leaning against the wall.

 

“Yeah? Isn’t that like, three weeks away?” She asked, tilting her head to the side.

 

“All the more reason to start planning now!” Jester held her arms out wide as if she were presenting something. “We could have a party! Or we could go out to the parade and then come back and have a party, we can figure out the details but we can do something fun, and it would be so great! Don’t you think?”

 

“A party?” Beau considered it for a moment, eyebrows knitting together before relaxing. “Yeah… That sounds fun. We could have music or something, that would be cool.”

 

Jester grinned, nodding in Beau’s direction. “Yes! What about you, Fjord? Isn’t it such a great idea?”

 

Taking his eyes off their pasta for a second, Fjord looked over his shoulder at them. “Sounds good to me. Works closed on New Dawn anyway.” He looked back at the stove, chuckling. “It’s been a while since I’ve been to a good party.”

 

“We’ll have the _best_ party.” Jester announced, striding across the apartment to one of the bottom drawers where they kept their important documents while they saved up money to buy a safe or something (which they would only get after buying the half a dozen other things they’d deemed more urgent) and pulled out the Money Book, taking great pleasure in counting up her profits for the day and adding them into her column. “Nott and I will handle all the big planning because we’re the best, and we’ll tell you if you guys have to do anything. It’ll be amazing.”

 

“Can’t wait,” Beau seemed excited at the thought, before her gaze flickered over to the kitchenette, her voice dropping into something far more snarky. “Though at this rate, we’ll have the party before we get dinner!”

 

“I will throw you out a window, Beauregard.”

 

“I’d like to see you try!”

 

Jester giggled as Beau and Fjord sniped at each other over how quickly dinner was taking, which didn’t end even when the food was actually served. By this point they had enough chairs — though none of them matched — for all three of them to sit at the table, chattering about New Dawn and how they’d noticed the city beginning to prepare for it, and whether or not they thought it would snow before the new year.

 

Shortly after dinner Fjord excused himself to get ready for work, leaving Beau and Jester to dutifully pack up the leftovers and clean up the table. Since he often made dinner, they considered it a fairly even trade.

 

Jester kept thinking about the New Dawn party as they worked, trying to come up with more ideas of things they could do, and imagining how much fun it would be. Sure, she wouldn’t be with her Mama, but she’d be with all of her new friends! She’d never had so many new friends to have a party with, and now she had seven of them!

 

While Beau was in the bathroom, she pulled out her sketchbook, opening it up to a new page. First she looked over all of the other drawings she’d done that day, mostly things she’d seen while she’d been sitting on the hill. Pretty birds that had flown by, an interesting hat that someone had worn. Then she began drawing some new sketches. They were quick ones, almost a little cartoony, of her and Beau and Fjord and Nott and all the others, wearing party hats while fireworks went off in the background.

 

She smiled at the messy drawings, her legs kicking the air as she lay on her stomach. It would be amazing. Her first big holiday in Zadash! Her Mama was already so proud of how well she was settling in, she’d probably be thrilled to hear that she was planning a party for New Dawn.

 

Only a little over three weeks. Surely she’d be able to plan something _spectacular_ by then.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ya yoink  
> we're gearing up for the end of the first arc of this story yay ^_^


	20. Fjord 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Jester and Nott go out on the town together, Jester so she can sell her paintings and sketches, and Nott so she can pickpocket anything interesting she finds. After a successful work day for the both of them, along the way home Jester notices a store celebrating New Dawn, which will approach in a few weeks. She reminisces about the parade she was always able to watch but never really participate in back home, and Nott tells her that Zadash also does a parade, which she immediately wants to attend. Her and Nott decide that not only can they attend the parade, but they can also celebrate New Dawn with a party as well, and rush home to begin planning.

As it turned out, the Soltryce Academy was ridiculously shady. On the surface, they were squeaky clean (which was suspicious in and of itself) and wonderfully prestigious. But after Fjord had stopped looking at the official websites and propaganda pieces, it didn’t take him long to find strange stories.

 

Most of it had to have been exaggerated to some extent, surely. He found conspiracy theories about students disappearing, withdrawing from their parents, deciding to stay at the Academy for extended periods of time and then dropping off the map entirely. He found gossip from towns about odd accidents and weird coincidences, and lots of comments about how the Academy and its students were creepy.

 

Even worse, he saw rumours of people arriving at the Academy with strange powers and… well, no one could seem to agree on what happened to them after they got there. But likely nothing good.

 

The vast majority of accounts these stories were linked to either seemed to randomly change their tune or became suddenly inactive after telling their tales.

 

Perhaps Caleb had been right after all. The entire business made his stomach sink, and Fjord’s gut was starting to tell him that sticking with his original plan probably wasn’t a good idea.

 

Unfortunately, that left him in the exact same conundrum he’d been in since he’d left Port Damali. He still knew squat about his magic or the voice in his dreams or anything. It wasn’t like Jester’s magic and it wasn’t like Caleb’s magic so what was it?

 

Which had led him to the library. He’d carefully selected one of the days where he knew Beau had a day off — days which she either spent hanging out with Jester in the park or with whatever wrestling club or gang she’d joined up. Since she answered every question about it with some snark about crime, he had no idea what it actually was. — to avoid any awkward questions, and also to avoid admitting that the only times he’d set foot in a library in the last few decades were to get out of a rainstorm.

 

He had unfortunately forgotten that Caleb also worked at the library, but his neighbour at least didn’t seem particularly interested in grilling him about his intentions.

 

Fjord found the part of the library that held books on magic history and theory, then located a small corner where he likely wouldn’t be disturbed.

 

One hour later he hadn’t managed to get more than a chapter through any of them.

 

“Are you alright?” An accented voice startled him out from where he’d been repeatedly banging his head onto the table, and he looked up to see Caleb standing there, seeming mildly perturbed with a small pile of books in his arms.

 

“Just fine.” Fjord’s voice was muffled on account of his face being buried in a book about the history of fire spells. From what he could tell, most magical fire _wasn’t_ green. Unless there was a dragon somewhere way back in his family lineage, which he’d never be able to find out for sure _anyway_.

 

There was a short pause, before Caleb said, “Okay then.” And promptly began walking off, taking with him any guidance and librarian knowledge he might be able to offer.

 

Fuck.

 

“Ah, Caleb, wait-” Fjord grimaced inwardly, lifting his head and closing the book as Caleb stopped, turning to face him again.

 

“Ja?”

 

“You… remember what we talked about in your apartment?” He glanced around, confirming that no one else was too close by.

 

Caleb seemed to stare at him for a moment, before silently walking up and pulling up a chair opposite Fjord. “I do.”

 

“Well, I’m trying to do my own research, but most of these books ain’t exactly relevant for what I’m looking for.” He stared down Caleb, hoping the man got his silent request of ‘please tell me you know where all the cool secret magic books are in this place’.

 

He got a few moments of silent staring back before Caleb glanced down at the collection of books Fjord had gathered. “These are all about arcane and divine magic.”

 

“Aren’t they the biggest kinds of magic?”

 

Another short silence. “Technically.”

 

“Care to elaborate?” It felt like he was trying to peel off a bandaid, one pointed question at a time until he got answers.

 

Now Caleb looked around, his hands fiddling with the collar of his jumper. “There have always been stories about magic gained in ways besides study, genetics, and blessings from the gods. ”

 

“Yeah, right, you mentioned like… plants and instruments and shit. But that’s gotta be fake, right?” All this reading was giving him a headache, just another thing to add to the steadily growing list of frustrations.

 

“Oh no, druids are very well-documented, there’s no doubt about their existence,” Caleb said, his voice becoming stronger as he seemed to find knowledge that he was confident in. “Uncommon in the Empire, yes, but there are actually records of small civilisations of them existing to this day. As for bards they’re even rarer but-”

 

Fjord blinked, dropping his head into his heads and sighing inwardly. At this rate, he was never going to figure out anything. “So there are a million ways to get magic, but none of them apply to me and not even the library knows anything else? Is that what I’m getting here?”

 

Caleb stiffened up a little bit, his mouth open for a second before he closed it, eyes dropping to the table and frowning thoughtfully. “Perhaps… not necessarily. I may have gone a bit off-track, but I meant to eventually say that there have always been stories of different ways to receive magic. Most of it is regarded as myth, or exaggeration of one of the known methods.”

 

Fjord didn’t respond, lifting his head a little and waiting for Caleb to continue.

 

“Since most of those stories _are_ thought to be false, they were rarely properly researched, and the books that do attempt to explain them usually aren’t considered appropriate by the Empire.”

 

Fjord had only been in this country for less than two months, but he had gotten enough of a sense of the place to figure out what that meant. If they _were_ around, they weren’t exactly laying out on shelves in the open.

 

“So if I were… _hypothetically_ inclined to want to read about these other kinds of magic, where would I be able to find them?” He enunciated each word carefully, keeping his voice low and whispered, thankful they were in a library where such quiet was expected and not suspicious.

 

Caleb seemed to catch his drift, not making eye contact and seeming fairly nonchalant, though his fingers had graduated to fiddling with his sleeves, arms resting on the table in front of him. “Hypothetically… they would probably be in the restricted section of our library. Usually, only members of the Cobalt Soul have access to that, as an independent intelligence organisation with its own jurisdiction. Or relevant library staff members, such as myself or Beauregard. Technically, most of those books aren’t on any kind of register or list.”

 

“So you or Beau would be able to get me in?” Fjord asked, feeling a little hopeful for the first time in this conversation. “Say, right now?”

 

Unfortunately, Caleb shook his head. “Regular non-staff civilians aren’t allowed in without prior request and certified need, which often involves large amounts of paperwork. And references. And IDs. Not to mention that there are often Cobalt Soul members there during the day, and those books aren’t supposed to leave the library.”

 

Shoulders deflating, Fjord frowned, scratching the back of his neck as he tried to think of another idea. “What about at night?”

 

Caleb matched his frown, seeming like he was trying to think of a solution just as much as Fjord was. Perhaps he was curious about the whole investigation (as much as it could be called that) himself. “It would be empty at night, considering the library itself is closed at that time. Only Professor Bilynn and myself have keys.”

 

A plan was beginning to form in Fjord’s head, one that a part of him was already beginning to regret. Luckily, the rest of him was quick to squash that part into a box and shove it away where he couldn’t hear it.

 

He asked a few more ‘hypothetical’ questions about the restricted area, like where it was in the library and any other kind of security measures that were in place. Then Caleb stood up, clearing his throat and declaring that he had to return to his job for he had wasted so much time talking to him already.

 

In his rush to move on, he accidentally left his set of library keys sitting on the table, right there for Fjord to pick up.

 

He _could_ return them right away… but Caleb looked so busy now. It probably wasn’t a good idea to disturb him any more than he already had.

 

It would be easier to return them some other time, surely. So Fjord returned the books he’d been reading and left the library, making the trip home and planning things out in his head as he went.

 

Both Beau and Jester were home when he arrived, debating whether it was a good idea to try and paint the walls or not before New Dawn while lounging on Fjord’s couch. They really needed to buy another couch.

 

Fjord walked to the middle of the living room, standing square in front of them. “I want to break into the library tonight.”

 

All discussions instantly ceased, two pairs of eyes snapping his way. Even Jester’s tail stopped flicking, dropping to the floor.

 

“What?”

 

“The library? I wanna break into it. Tonight.”

 

A beat passed, before Jester’s face broke out into a wide grin that could only be described as gleeful, and Beau’s eyebrows shot up so high Fjord thought they might fly off her head.

 

“Why are you wanting to do that?” Beau asked, glancing over at Jester before quickly amending her words. “I mean, I support breaking and entering for a good cause, but what’s the cause?”

 

“I haven’t been able to find anything that helps me figure out where my powers came from or what they are. I’m pretty sure the only books that _can_ are in the restricted section in the library.” He looked pointedly at Beau, seeing realisation wash over her face.

 

“Oooh, that place. Caleb showed me the passcode but I’m pretty sure Bilynn is technically the only one of the library people that usually goes in there.”

 

“That’s such a good idea!” Jester had bounced up from her spot on the couch, pumping her arms in the air. “Of course they’d put all the top-secret magic books in a restricted section!”

 

“What about the Soltryce Academy? I thought you were planning on hitting up those guys for magic help.” Beau sat up straight but didn’t stand up yet, still seeming to be mulling the idea over in her head. “I’m down to sneak into my place of employment but I don’t wanna risk my job if there’s an easier path.”

 

“I don’t think the Academy would have my… best interests at heart if I went to them.” Fjord said, glancing away before settling back on Beau. “But are you up to help me out?”

 

“Yes! I will!” Fjord was completely unsurprised that Jester was willing to drop everything to sneak into somewhere with him, and even if it probably made more sense to have fewer people along, he wasn’t about to deny her. It was Jester.

 

“Sure, let’s do it.” Beau smirked and stood up, folding her arms across her chest. “The biggest problem will be getting in at night. It’s completely locked up, and I don’t have a copy of the keys.”

 

On cue, Fjord produced Caleb’s keys, not even bothering to hide his smug smile. Jester gasped and Beau’s eyes widened before she broke into disbelieving chuckles.

 

“You steal those?”

 

“More like Caleb _accidentally_ left them on the table and I picked them up. For safekeeping, of course.”

 

“Of course,” Jester repeated, seeming more and more excited by the whole endeavour every second.

 

“I like this plan.” Beau said, despite the fact that no plan beyond ‘sneak into the library tonight’ had been discussed. “When are we going to do it?”

 

“Well, I do still have work tonight so… I can wake you up when I get back?”

 

“So we’ll be sneaking in while tired?” Beau had a satisfied grin on her face now, while Jester was already muttering about how she’d be able to help get them in. “I love it.”

 

When Fjord woke them both up nine hours later, they weren’t quite as enthusiastic at first.

 

“ _I will slaughter everyone you love-”_ Beau hissed as Fjord flicked their bedroom light on and off repeatedly, having bought two triple-strength iced coffees from work before he finished his shift and having downed both of them on the way back.

 

He was only slightly jittery at the prospect of breaking into a government building. Only slightly.

 

Still, after avoiding being punched in the face (Jester’s peppiness at their upcoming heist being perhaps the only thing saving him from Beau’s wrath) it didn’t take them long to get dressed and ready to go, the three of them taking to the streets as they made their way to the library.

 

They were quiet as they walked, Beau and Fjord rugged up in whatever scarves and jackets they had while Jester wore a thin jumper over the shirt and overalls she was wearing, her tail swaying behind her.

 

Occasionally other people would pass them by, brushing past in a hurry to get where they were going in the chill of the winter’s early morning. The library was even more imposing, streetlights casting eerie shadows all around them, the building’s pillars creating long dark strips on the ground and walls.

 

Spinning Caleb’s keys on her finger, Beau led them to a side door to the library that didn’t have any of the good security cameras trained on it, unlocking the door and showing them inside. Every single light was turned off, plunging them into darkness once the door closed behind them.

 

“Woah…” Jester ‘ooh’ed after turning her phone’s flashlight on, waving it around the library.

 

Even though Fjord had been in this very building earlier that day (well, technically it was yesterday), it seemed so much more intimidating in the dark. The ceiling seemed to stretch a hundred feet taller than it actually was, every bookshelf a possible hiding place for something sinister. He wasn’t afraid of the dark but in this moment, he was nervous.

 

“Jes, shine that light this way.” Beau was gesturing down in the direction of where the restricted books were kept, down a staircase that led to a sub-basement of sorts. Beau held up her own phone but didn’t seem to have activated any flashlight, instead turning its brightness up to full and turning it around, which only gave enough light to prevent her from tripping over her own feet.

 

Jester obliged, resting her free hand on Beau’s shoulder and looking around, her purple eyes almost shining of the darkness. “It’s so spooky~”

 

“Ah, it’s nothin but dust and books.” Beau huffed, keeping her voice low. “Unless…”

 

“Unless what?”

 

“I mean, I heard Bilynn talk about some ghosts that supposedly haunt the library-” Beau glanced over her shoulder to where she thought Fjord was, trailing a few steps behind her. Fjord had always been able to see pretty well in the dark, and he could see her smirking now, mostly managing to look him in the face. “Ghosts from centuries ago, before most of the magic was lost to the woooorld~”

 

“There are no ghosts in this library.” Fjord scoffed, holding his own phone with its flashlight close.

 

“Don’t tell me you think ghosts aren’t real, Fjord,” Jester said, forgetting Beau’s request to keep the light pointed in front and spinning around to face him, smiling even wider than Beau was.

 

“Oh, I know ghosts are real.” Fjord straightened up, folding his arms and ignoring the goosebumps prickling his skin. “You don’t fuck with ghosts.”

 

“Of course not.” Beau’s voice was light, but dripping with mischief. “We’re just going to break into their house and steal some of their books.”

 

A very unfortunately timed creaking sound interrupted the beat of silence after Beau finished speaking, and Fjord froze. Jester, still turned around and now walking backwards, saw him and instantly began to giggle, clasping a hand over her mouth.

 

“Are you _scared_ of ghosts, Fjord?”

 

“No. It’s the coffee.” Groaning, Fjord covered his face with his hands, wishing for them to get to the restricted section already before he lost any more of his dignity. Jester clearly didn’t believe him, and now Beau was snickering too, both women seeming quite happy to high-five over his misfortune.

 

He wasn’t scared of ghosts. He _respected_ them, and their tendency to be really fucking creepy. There was a difference.

 

“Alright, alright, here’s the door.” Beau was still chuckling to herself as they stopped, before turning to a keypad next to the door. “Gimme a sec.”

 

“It’s okay to be scared of ghosts you know,” Jester said matter-of-factly, her eyes closed and nodding. “Lots of people are scared of ghosts.”

 

Fjord just sighed, knowing he was never going to convince them otherwise. “Sure, Jester.”

 

There was a light click and then the swing of a door being pushed open, Beau waving her arms to the now clear doorway. “Ta-dah.”

 

The three of them walked inside, quickly realising that there were a lot more books in here than Fjord had originally imagined. Which was great on one hand because more books meant a greater chance of finding something relevant, but on the other hand, it was a lot to sort through.

 

“Split up?” Beau asked, squinting at them through the darkness and carelessly aimed flashlights. “My phone's flashlight is busted so-”

 

“You can use mine.” Fjord tossed her her phone. Scared of ghosts. Hah. “I can make my own light.”

 

With that declaration, he closed his eyes for a second to focus, inhaling slowly and holding both his hands in front of him. Shivers ran up his spine from the bottom of his toes, racing through every nerve ending until they found the tips of his fingers, energy coalescing into pure magic, the scent of salt stinging the air.

 

As he opened his eyes, green light was beginning to form into a ball in his hand, casting a sickly glow in a good five-foot radius around him. He could see Beau and Jester more clearly even when neither had a flashlight pointed at them, their eyes wide. Jester had already seen him do this before, but not as easily as he had now, while Beau hadn’t seen it at all.

 

“Wow,” Beau said, staring at the pulsing green glow on Fjord’s hands. “That’s awesome.”

 

The corner of his mouth quirked upwards, and he looked around at the room again with new determination. “Let’s get started.”

 

“What kind of books do you think would be most useful?” Jester was fully grinning now, shifting her weight on her feet like she couldn’t wait to get started.

 

“Uh, anything on weird magic would be helpful. Old gods, maybe, ocean magic… spooky eye monsters…”

 

“Wild.” He heard Beau murmur under her breath before all three of them split off, taking different sections of the room and beginning to look through.

 

Fjord began shuffling through his chosen section, holding his glowing hands up to the titles of books to read them clearly before moving on to the next. There were so many concepts he couldn’t even begin to decipher, with many books not seeming related to magic at all.

 

There were old history books, records of trade agreements and diplomatic meetings and legends that Fjord had never heard of. Some of it tugged at him, hinting at stories and secrets he’d never imagined, but right now he had a mission. In the rest of the room he could hear Jester giggle every so often, calling Beau over to look at something funny she’d found.

 

A Comprehensive History Of The Gods. That seemed promising. Fjord picked that up, along with a few other books, before Beau tapped him on the shoulder, telling him they should probably get moving. Best not to push their luck.

 

Both Beau and Jester had collected a couple books each they thought were useful, putting them all in Fjord’s backpack that he’d brought with him before they crept out the library the same way they’d come in.

 

They were all yawning by the time they got back to their apartment, Jester declaring that she wouldn’t even bother getting changed back into her pyjamas and promptly disappearing into her bedroom, Beau following soon after with a mock salute directed at Fjord and a quick ’Let’s break into a bank next time’ shot over her shoulder as she walked down the hallway.

 

Fjord was left on his couch in the dark again, a backpack full of stolen books resting on his chest.

 

Who knew if any of them were actually going to be useful. Maybe they weren’t.

 

But hey, he had a couple friends who were willing to break into a library with him on the off-chance they were useful. That was pretty cool.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> friends that live together commit crimes together ^_^
> 
> anyway nanowrimo is coming up soon and im so excited. If all goes well I'll be able to finish writing this entire story and then I'll be able to speed up the updates. ^_^


	21. Beau 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Fjord tries to do more research about his strange magic at the library but comes up mostly short until Caleb arrives and tells him that it's possible some books in their restricted section may be able to help him. After telling him how to get in and 'accidentally' leaving his keys on the table, Caleb leaves, and Fjord races home to tell Beau and Jester that he wants to break into the library, which they agree to basically immediately. They break in and steal any books that seem interesting without issue in the middle of the night, which all of them find to be a very enriching activity.

“So you’re _sure_ you’ve never talked to an angel?” Jester laid on her stomach with her legs kicking in the air and her tail swishing back and forth, dutifully thumbing through pages of a stolen magic book.

 

“I’m pretty sure I’d know if it was an angel or not.” Fjord sighed, flicking through the pages of another before glancing at his phone. “Nearly quarter past… I need to get going soon.”

 

Beau distantly listened to Fjord and Jester argue over whether the mysterious voice in Fjord’s dreams — which Fjord had only described as creepy, booming, and unfortunately taciturn — could be an angel or even some kind of new unknown god like the Traveller. In front of her were a small pile of books herself, detailing legends and myths of magic that had been long lost to time.

 

Beau had never been particularly interested in magic, having had neither an aptitude or lineage for it, and the Institute hadn’t had it as part of its curriculum for the short periods of time in which she’d actually attended classes rather than attempting to run away again.

 

What she _was_ interested in, however, was secrets and mysteries, and uncovering what the hell had happened to Fjord ticked all her boxes. So for the past week and a half since they’d stolen the books, the three of them had slowly been making their way through them, trying to find clues. So far they’d mostly found old rituals that had been rendered obsolete by technology or other things that were fun to find out, but not particularly helpful.

 

Still, every now and then one of them would find a passage that mentioned strange voices in heads, or dreams that carried over to reality, so they were making progress.

 

“Do you think you can like, leave blobs of glowy stuff on the walls?” Jester was probably the least helpful of them all in regards to research, quickly bored by pages of text and far more fascinated with testing what exactly Fjord could do with his powers. “Cause I found these string lights that glowed different colours and I thought they would be _amazing_ for New Dawn but they were like, a hundred notes and I was like ‘whaaaat’ because that’s expensive, right?”

 

“Yeah, that’s expensive for some party lights.” Fjord was almost entirely focused on his book, frowning a little. He was very slow getting through his books, but Beau figured he was just methodical. “I have not tried to leave any… glowy blobs anywhere.”

 

“You should try it!” Jester wasn’t even pretending to be reading anymore, sticking her hands underneath her chin. “It would be so cool!”

 

Fjord glanced at his phone again before sighing, slipping a scrap piece of paper inside the book to mark the page before closing it. “I’d love to, but I’ve got to head to Tarla’s.”

 

Jester pouted, glancing down at her own book for a moment. “Fine then, me and Beau will just come up with a million super awesome things you can do with glowy blobs while you’re gone.”

 

“Have fun with that.” Fjord drawled, slipping on his jacket and swinging his keys on his finger. “See y’all tomorrow, don’t burn the apartment down, bye.”

 

“He has such little faith in us.” Jester huffed once the door was closed again, a teasing smile on her face.

 

“Absolutely.” Beau paused for a moment, smirking. “Why would we stop at burning down the apartment when we could burn the whole building?”

 

Jester giggled and began flicking through the pages in her book again. The two settled into a relatively silent rhythm, which was interrupted by a buzz in Beau’s pocket. Jester glanced up for only a moment before looking back down, while Beau fished around in her pockets for her phone.

 

But when she turned it on, there was no new message. Ah. Beau pulled out her burner phone, and sure enough, the screen lit up with a short and simple message.

 

**Unknown: You’re up.**

 

Beau stared at the screen for a moment, before stuffing both phones back in her pocket. She stood up, dog-earing the books and closing them. Jester looked up again as she did, perking up.

 

“You’re bored? Me too, researching this stuff isn’t as much fun when Fjord’s not here.” She happily closed her book without marking the page at all, pulling herself up into a sitting position and stretching out her arms as she chattered. “We should do something!”

 

Beau winced, folding her arms and avoiding looking Jester in the eye. “Ah, sorry, Jes, but I’ve gotta go.” She paused for a moment. “Got… stuff, ya know?”

 

She chanced a glance at her friend, feeling herself tense when she saw Jester’s face fall. Just for a moment, just long enough for Beau to feel kinda guilty about it (even though she wasn’t sure why, it wasn’t like she’d made plans to do something with Jester that night) before a more neutral, hopeful smile was plastered over it.

 

“Oh, right, _sure_. Where are you going? Maybe I can come with?” She was standing up now, her hands behind her back and her tail still behind her, winking. “If it’s your ‘crime gang’-” And she made finger quotes as she said that, which made Beau wince, “-I bet I can do pretty good crimes.”

 

“Sorry, it’s uh… I don’t think it’d really be your style.” Wow, she was awful at this. “Lots of running… and jumping…” And fighting. Sometimes some stabbing. Once someone even shot a gun, but everything had dispersed pretty quickly after that. Didn’t seem like the kind of scene that went well with preppy, colourful Jester.

 

Plus, she had a feeling that if Jester realised Beau was _actually_ in a crime gang and not just going off by herself to get drunk or get in a fight or whatever she assumed Beau was lying to cover up, things would get messy. At this point, Beau wasn’t sure how to broach the subject.

 

Jester’s eyebrows knitted together and the awkwardness was too much for Beau to bear, grabbing her jacket from where it had been slung over Fjord’s couch. “Well, I gotta get going soon or they might stab me or something! See ya!” She threw a wave over her shoulder before bolting out of the door.

 

Excellent.

 

Definitely no way that could’ve gone better. Definitely.

 

She was inwardly cringing the entire way to the Evening Nip. Good thing none of the people there batted an eyelid if you showed up in a foul mood or with a scowl on your face. Beau expected to get told to go accompany Hannah and the others breaking in to some place again and then she’d be able to go home and go to bed. If she were lucky, she might even get to punch something.

 

That plan was flipped over in approximately three seconds.

 

“Wait, what?”

 

“I want you to lead a mission.” The Gentleman’s cool smile was as calculating as ever as she stood in front of him.

 

Beau frowned, her arms folded tight and glancing to the small collection of crooks that were also the room. All very buff, all very armed, all very much not the same kind of henchmen that Hannah, Louis and Therad were. “You want me to lead… them?”

 

“But of course. You’ve managed to survive a month in my employ, I’d like to see if you’re capable of bigger and better things.” The Gentleman leaned backward, taking a sip from a wine glass that was never less than half-full.

 

A test, then. Beau shot another glance at the men and women, eyeing their various weapons. Chances are they would be just as willing to use them on her as they would on their target. She doubted this was the kind of promotion she’d be allowed to turn down. She looked back at the Gentleman, her voice even. “What kind of bigger and better things did you have in mind?”

 

The corner of his mouth quirked, and he tipped his head towards another man sitting next to him, who up til now had done nothing but refill his drink. “Kairen Onezza. A lower partner of mine who’s become… less than cooperative as of late, and has been withholding some objects that are owed..”

 

The drink man produced a small slip of paper, which included an address and a small list of items; documents, some random statue of a dog, and a sum of money that made Beau’s eyes widen. “You want me to go to this dudes place and get this stuff? Discreetly?”

 

“Absolutely not.” The Gentleman shook his head, chuckling. “I want him to know exactly what kind of mistake he’s made. See if you can get him to fetch it all himself, that would be lovely to see.”

 

Beau looked down at the piece of paper again, and in that moment of silence the Gentleman leaned forwards, his eyes narrowing. “I trust you’ll be able to handle this, Beau.”

 

Beau tried to match his smug smirk, folding the piece of paper in two and slipping it into the waist of her pants. “Certainly.”

 

She spun on her heels and left the side room, correctly assuming her new team would follow. Plugging the address into her phone, she found that it was technically just inside the Interstead Sprawl, close to the Tri-Spire. Exactly where a comfortable-but-not-quite-wealthy person interested in rising in the ranks would live.

 

Catching a bus got covered most of the journey, and walking got them the rest of the way there. Along the way the group were in near silence, but every now and then one of the others would whisper something that made their companions chuckle. There were four of them in total, two men and two women. None of them offered their actual names to her so she came up with her own. Red (a relaxed male tiefling with — surprise — red skin who couldn’t have been younger than thirty five), Twitchy (a human woman with stringy hair and an inability to keep a straight face), Tall (a half-orcish woman with dark green skin who was honestly kinda hot) and Ugly (a human man who was just ugly).

 

All four of them were armed to the teeth, and Beau was pretty sure she’d seen them exchanging bets while they’d been on the bus, so she decided the chances of them helping her out if something happened were low. Great.

 

The house they arrived at was actually a proper house which, in a city filled with skyrises and apartment buildings, was noticeable. It was pristine with marble pillars and perfectly manicured hedges and only seemed to stop short at lining the tall metal fences with gold.

 

Rich people. Ugh. Not just that, rich people constantly trying to appear even richer than they actually were. One of the worst kinds.

 

By this point, the night was well upon them, and Beau took a moment to survey the place, figuring there would be security somewhere. Sure enough, she spotted a few cameras pretty quickly, which meant there were probably more that were better hidden.

 

“Don’t suppose any of you have a key.” She snarked, glancing over her shoulder at the gang.

 

“As a matter of fact…” Tall smirked, pulling a thin rectangular plastic card out of a pocket and walking up to the gate of the house. She swiped the card, with a beep, and after a moment the gate began to swing open.

 

“Wow. Onezza give the Gentleman that?” Beau raised an eyebrow as they sauntered in. Tall’s smile just widened, the other exchanging snickers behind her. Interesting.

 

Tall didn’t make a move to swipe the card anywhere when they got to the front door (big, grand, stupid, as all doors to rich people houses were) so Beau figured now was the time to knock.

 

The man who answered took one look at the assortment of people that definitely didn’t belong in a neighbourhood like this and visibly grimaced.

 

“Hey.” Beau plastered an absolutely fake smile on her face, keeping her posture the exact kind of relaxed that every authority figure she’d ever had had hated. “We’re here to talk with the man of the house. He home?”

 

The man — who Beau assumed was some kind of butler or cleaner based on the neat clothes and expression of someone who wasn’t paid enough to deal with this shit — simply nodded, fully opening the door and stepping aside to allow them through.

 

“I will… inform him you’re here.” The butler scurried off, leaving Beau and the others to meander about in the foyer.

 

Red and Twitchy immediately got busy touching anything in reach, picking up knick-knacks and turning them over in their hands with grins on their faces. Tall set herself up by the door with her arms folded, while Ugly postured with his crowbar, probably thinking to himself that he was so cool he didn’t need a gun or anything.

 

It took a few minutes before a tall and stringy half-elf came blustering into the foyer, the butler appearing around the corner for a moment before vanishing to safety. Kairen Onezza was pale with carefully manicured shoulder-length russet brown hair, his clothes bright and fancy and just ostentatious enough to be weird. He was also pissed off.

 

“You think you can just- just walk into my home? Waltz in like you own it?” He stopped a good ten feet away from Beau, not daring to step any closer.

 

“Yes, we do.” She interrupted before he could continue flustering about, keeping her hands in the pockets of her jumper and her posture relaxed. “The Gentleman wants his shit.”

 

Onezza’s face paled, one of his hands twitching behind his back. “I-I don’t have to… do anything for him!”

 

Beau chanced a glance over her shoulder, seeing the others watching the confrontation with varying degrees of indifference and delight. She turned back to Onezza, the hint of a smug smirk on her face.

 

Pulling out the small slip of paper, she ripped it in half so that the list of items the Gentleman had asked for were alone, before striding up to Onezza and pinning the paper to his chest. “You do, and you will. I’m sure you’ll know where everything on this list is.”

 

She took one step back and let Onezza look down at the piece of paper for a moment, seeing his jaw tighten and his hands shaking. Jeez, he was a wreck.

 

“This is blackmail. I can’t do this anymore.” Even his voice was wavering now. “He said we’d be able to _help_ each other.”

 

“He helps those who can help him in return. Get the items, and I’m sure he’ll find it in himself to forgive you.” That was at least something Beau had noticed over the month she’d been doing odd jobs for the Gentleman. He didn’t so much care who or what you were, just what you could provide. Stay useful, and everything was wonderful. But if he caught so much of an inkling that you were working against him, or were trying to play him?

 

Well, apparently he sent people to your home to remind you that this was a two-way street. If that didn’t work, well, one didn’t get to be a crime boss by letting people stiff them without revenge.

 

Onezza visibly gulped before nodding mutely, the paper trembling in his grasp as he turned around. Beau quickly glanced over her shoulder and nodded at Red, who she figured would be the most useful to come with her and make sure the half-elf didn’t try to make a run for it.

 

She probably would’ve taken Tall, but the others didn’t seem to have many braincells between them. Red shrugged his shoulders and jogged to catch up, and the two of them followed Onezza deeper into the house. The objects were all scattered in different places, and more than once Beau caught a glimpse of someone else in the house peeking around a corner before disappearing when she looked their way, the sounds of footsteps fading down corridors.

 

Onezza’s fraying nerves aside, things went smoothly. Beau passed all the documents and the random dog statue to Red to hold onto and finally there was just the sum of money, whereupon Onezza claimed that he kept his stash of emergency cash in a safe in a closet.

 

They got to the safe and Onezza knelt down to input the code, slowly opening the door and beginning to rummage through. He said nothing, casting furtive glances up towards them every few seconds. Beau was paying close attention out of the corner of her eye, not trusting him for a moment.

 

When there was a flash of metal pulling pulled from within the safe, she knew she’d been right not to.

 

In the split-second Onezza took to pull out the hidden dagger to try and swipe at her she’d already jumped back, neatly dodging well out of the way.

 

“That’s not very smart.” She frowned, Red snapping to attention next to her but not moving to do anything just yet. She could feel his eyes on her, waiting to see how she would handle the situation. Fine then.

 

“He said he’d help me get _rich_!” Onezza lunged forward, still on his knees, desperation in his eyes. “You’re extorting me!”

 

“You shouldn’t have tried to trick him, then,” Red spoke up for the first time, a devilish grin on his face. “If there’s anything he hates, it’s cheats.”

 

Beau gritted her teeth, darting forward and kicking Onezza hard across the face, hearing the cheekbones crack beneath her foot.

 

He cried out, his free hand racing to cover his cheek while he staggered to his feet, still holding the knife in a white-knuckled grip.

 

“You can’t… come in here and threaten me!” Onezza took two steps backward as Beau took one forwards and to the right, blocking his path to the open door out into the hallway. “You don’t know who I am, what I can do-”

 

“Maybe not, but the Gentleman doesn’t seem too concerned about it.” Beau shrugged before darting forwards, easily dodging a frantic knife swipe and grabbing Onezza’s wrist, using his own momentum to pin his arm against his chest. “If I were you, I’d continue working with whatever deal you two had made before you decided to push your luck.”

 

Onezza pushed back, and even if he wasn’t in the best position he had nearly a foot in height on her, and it took all her strength to keep him from breaking out. A few jabs to the stomach made it a bit easier, though.

 

“I’m a member of the City Council! I could _ruin_ you! I-” His voice was frantic, desperate. Beau chanced a look at the rest of the room to see Red collecting money that had indeed been inside the case, counting it up with seemingly no sense of urgency.

 

“Look at that, exactly what the boss was missing.” He said, dropping a silver coin into his palm. “I believe that’s everything, Beau.”

 

“Wonderful.” Beau twisted Onezza’s wrist until the knife dropped from his hands, where she threw it well across the room where he wouldn’t be able to quickly grab it. “It’s been a pleasure.”

 

Onezza said nothing, his arms over his stomach and his shoulders shaking with a mix of fury and fear. She and Red met up with the others and they all left without so much as a second word to any of the occupants of the house.

 

The Gentleman openly grinned when they got back to the Evening Nip, just a few hours shy of midnight. He congratulated them on a job well done, passing out their payment. When he slid Beau her envelope she saw his smile become a little deeper, a little more dangerous.

 

“A little extra for her. I believe this deal of ours will work out quite well for both of us.” The words left a bitter taste crawling up her mouth, but in the moment she just nodded and left as soon as she could.

 

She hadn’t opened the envelope until she was three blocks away from the Evening Nip, finding a small stack of golden notes. Even without counting, she knew it had to be at least two hundred in total. Maybe three.

 

When she got home she found Jester sitting on their bed and drawing in their sketchbook.

 

“How’d your super-secretcrime gang business go?” Beau was almost certain there was a slight petty edge to the question, and there was churning in her stomach.

 

How _was_ it going? It was a great payday, that was for sure. But the Gentleman was a different ballgame to all the small-town crime gangs she’d run into before. She wasn’t sure this was one she’d be able to leave simply by catching a bus to the next town or deciding not to take any more jobs for them.

 

“Nothing big.” She shrugged her jacket onto the ground next to her backpack, rummaging inside her pack to find her designated sleeping sweatpants.

 

Jester looked up from her sketchbook, looking slightly less irritated and more concerned. “Are you hurt?”

 

“Not a scratch.”

 

“Oh. Okay.” Jester relaxed against the back wall, looking back down to her sketchbook. A long pause. ”Are you actually in a fight club or something?”

 

Beau hesitated, her eyes locked with Jester’s. This was an opportunity right here, to just come out and say ‘no it wasn’t a joke, yes I am actually committing crimes on a regular basis’. She could deal with whatever came after that, right? They’d broken into a library for Fjord, none of them were exactly sticklers for the law.

 

On the other hand, the library had been a one-time deal. What Beau was doing was a lot more… involved.

 

Instead, she found herself turning away from Jester as she tried to find where she dumped her towel. “Now, a fight club would be fun.”

 

Jester didn’t push the question. Beau tried to stop herself from feeling guilty about it.

 

That night, she didn’t sleep very well. She couldn’t pin her finger down on why, but her mind kept wandering back to Onezza and the Gentleman and… all of it. Onezza had gotten in too deep, she told herself. He’d gotten a bit too big for his britches, flown too close to the sun, whatever you wanted to call it.

 

Beau knew what she was doing. She was used to this life. Without the money from the Gentleman, they’d probably never have a shot of getting above the poverty line. _She’d_ have nothing if she ended up alone again.

 

She shouldn’t feel bad about it. It was probably better Jester and Fjord stayed far away from it anyway, Jester seemed far too sunshine for a world like that (pranks aside) while Fjord was busy with his magic research.

 

In the morning she offered to take Jester to buy some glowing string lights for the New Dawn party anyway. Jester was too excited to ask where the money had come from.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im sure none of this will ever be relevant again  
> nope 
> 
> (:


	22. Jester 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau got a new job from the Gentleman which put her in charge of going to an associate's house and intimidating him to get some things he'd been withholding the crime gang. Despite the man, Kairen Onezza, attempting to weasel his way out of it via threats and lame knife attacks, the job is a success. Once home, Jester tries to get details of what she'd been doing but Beau deflects, feeling a little bit guilty but ultimately deciding it's better that way.

**Floor Nein ^_^ :D <3 >:) **

**Members: Beau, Caduceus, Caleb, Fjord, Jester, Nott, Yasha, Zuala**

 

**Jester:** **☆** **.** **。** **.:*** **・** **°** **☆** **.** **。** **.:* ITS NEW DAWN!!!!!!** **☆** **.** **。** **.:*** **・** **°** **☆** **.** **。** **.:***

**Jester: THE PARADE IS TODAY!!!! IM SO EXCITED!!!! ITS GOING TO BE AMAZING!!!!!**

**Jester: i cant believe its finally here the parade is going to be so amazing you guys ahhhhhHHHHHHHHH**

**Jester: there are going to be so many amazing things!! and the FLOATS and the FOOD im so EXCITED**

**Jester: this is going to be so cool!!!!**

**Fjord: jester its five minutes after midnight go to sleep**

**Jester: but im too EXCITED!!!!**

**Fjord: if you pass out from exhaustion later today im not carrying you home**

**Jester: :D ^_^** **☆** **.** **。** **.:*** **・** **°** **☆** **.** **。** **.:***

 

* * *

 

 

Jester could hardly contain herself. It was nearing late morning on the first day of the new year and she was going to be attending her very first New Dawn Parade in person! Not only that, but with all her friends!

 

The only thing that stopped her from dragging Fjord to get ready was the fact that he had more or less politely told Jester that if she didn’t let him get a decent amount of sleep he would burn all their dinner for the next week.

 

So instead she sat at their dining table, her feet tapping rhythmically on the floor and her tail swishing from side to side, fingers typing on her phone screen faster than her brain could keep up. She was texting everyone else in the group chat, making sure they were awake, checking up on how ready they were. Nott and Zuala were the only ones who really answered.

 

“Jes, there’s still an hour before the parade starts.” Beau was biting into a piece of toast and sitting in another chair, already mostly ready herself. Her phone was lying on the table, where Beau would watch the flying messages with mild amusement. “You should start harassing everyone when it’s five minutes before we leave.”

 

Jester happily ignored that advice, in favour of telling Nott to put her socks on faster. After a few minutes, she went out onto the balcony just to look out over the city, trying to spot where the parade would be. It was supposed to go through the Interstead Sprawl and the Pentamarket, taking it through almost every district of the city at least once, even if it stuck mostly to the middle and upper-class streets.

 

Down below Jester could already see clumps of people walking towards the route, waving streamers and flags and excited grins on their faces that was mirrored on Jester’s. Leaning on the balcony, not even a chilly morning breeze could bring her spirits down. It was cold enough that she was actually wearing a light jumper over her most favourite purple and mauve dress, but it was a very cute jumper so it was okay.

 

Once Fjord was _finally_ up and ready to go, Jester was out of the door in a flash, immediately knocking on Apartment A’s door. After only a few moments Nott opened it, dressed in a thick baggy parka but with a wide, toothy grin on her face. Caleb appeared behind her, similarly rugged up in his regular coat and scarves that hid the bottom half of his face.

 

“Are you ready?” Jester pumped her hands in the air while Fjord and Beau exchanged ‘sups’ with Caleb.

 

Nott’s eyes were almost sparkling, more animated than Jester had ever seen her, excepting the time she’d found an entire gold note on the ground while they’d been walking home the previous week. “Hell yes! I haven’t done a proper holiday in ages! Right, Caleb?”

 

Caleb didn’t seem quite as enthusiastic, and Jester distantly noticed Frumpkin nudging himself against his leg, but when he spoke he didn’t sound _quite_ as tired and dismal as he usually did, which she decided to count as an overall success. “Ja. Usually, we stay at home.”

 

“Now we’ve got to get the others!” Jester grabbed Nott and Beau’s hands since they were standing closest, dragging them down the hallway and assuming that the boys would follow at a slower, more boring pace.

 

“Oh, hello Jester.” Caduceus opened the door in a long soft-looking jacket with buttons and a belt tying it together, a satchel slung over one shoulder, and a wide-brimmed straw hat that didn’t quite seem suitable for cold weather. “…and Jester’s friends.”

 

“Hello… you…” Nott responded, having to crane her neck to see up to Caduceus’ face. “Jeez, could you get any taller?”

 

“I’m actually one of the shortest in my family.” Caduceus had an easy smile, not at all concerned by the slightly suspicious glances that pretty much all of them _but_ Jester gave him at this first proper meeting, outside the group chat. “I’m Caduceus Clay, it’s a pleasure to finally meet you all in person.”

 

“Likewise.” Fjord was the first to reach out a hand to shake and after that introductions came quickly, the others exchanging names and anything else they deemed worth sharing (which wasn’t much). 

 

Going downstairs to get Yasha and Zuala went about the same, with everyone who hadn’t met before exchanging names before Jester encouraged/pushed everyone to get moving before they lost a perfect spot to watch the parade.

 

It was a cloudy winter day, sunshine streaming in from gaps in the cloud-cover all over the city as the gang followed the crowd to the closest part of the Interstead Sprawl. When they reached the main street of the Sprawl they found themselves coming up against erected barriers, a few police officers roaming in pairs or trios. Other citizens or tourists were finding spots along the barriers, chattering away to each other or waving flags.

 

Jester was nearly breathless, even though the parade hadn’t even started.

 

“Isn’t this so exciting?” Her fingers were tapping on the barrier, looking around at the others. Beau was leaning on the barrier to her left, while Zuala had taken up a position to her right, looking almost as excited as Jester was.

 

“Yes! We didn’t have any parades like this back home, our town was too small for it.” Zuala was looking around in delight at every banner in sight.

 

“You grew up rural?” Beau leaned over the barrier to look Zuala over, her posture easy and relaxed. “Where from?”

 

Zuala’s eyes flickered around a little before she shuffled a little closer to them, dropping her voice. “Xhorhas, actually.”

 

Jester saw Beau’s eyebrows rise up a little, her gaze shifting to Yasha then back to Zuala, reaching some unspoken understanding that Jester didn’t have a clue about. Geography had really never been her strong suit.

 

She frowned, certain Xhorhas was at least on this continent. “That’s… east, right?”

 

Zuala nodded, her smile turning wistful. “It’s very beautiful, especially in spring.”

 

“So I guess you immigrated, right? I thought the Empire had that locked down tight on Xhorhassians, hardly anyone gets let in.” Beau said, her eyebrows knitting together and a tiny flash of guilt crossing her face. “Wait, unless you’ve been here a while-uh, never mind. Stupid question.”

 

“We’ve been here for about ten months now. Applied for… asylum once we got here.” Zuala chuckled mirthlessly before looking away. “Things are nice now.”

 

“I’ve only been here for two months, what kind of cool stuff have you seen?” Jester said, and Zuala perked up again.

 

“Oh, lots! I have a good driver's license now! It’s got my name on it and everything!” With a flourish, Zuala pulled out a small driver's license stamped with the seal of the Empire and adorned with a recent-looking picture of Zuala. “The driving test was so fun.”

 

“Wooooah I’ve always wanted to drive!” Jester grinning, shaking Beau’s shoulder with one hand. “Beau, Beau can you drive?”

 

“Legally? No. Technically?” Beau paused for a moment before making a so-so gesture with her hand. “I _do_ know how to make a car start without keys.”

 

Jester’s mouth fell open and Beau smirked, puffing her chest out a little before continuing to talk. “You know me, Jes, just full of surprises.”

 

Inwardly, Jester made a note to get Beau to teach her how to make a car start without keys if they ever found themselves in possession of a car somehow. She looked over her shoulder to see Nott standing on the very tips of her toes next to Caduceus (she reached up to a good inch or two below his waist), claiming bullshit on him not using magic to get that tall, the others watching with amusement.

 

A short time passed as more people began to gather on the sides of the streets. Some particularly opportunistic people carried baskets of bottled water, banners or flags with the crest of the Empire on them for people to buy.

 

The first sign of the parade making its way around were distant cheers further down the street, the police straightening up and taking up positions in front of the barriers.

 

Rows of stoic men and women in military dress made their way along the empty street, to great cheers and applause from the gathered townsfolk. Alternating rows played drums, woodwind and string instruments as they marched, filling the air with music that wasn’t at all the kind Jester recognised from the parades back home. It was all regimented and exact, beating out a tune that she wasn’t familiar with.

 

Looking at the others, none of them seemed surprised or confused with this development. Zuala and Yasha were both wide-eyed, Yasha with her arms around her wife’s waist and both of them leaning forward to get a better view. Caleb looked mildly uncomfortable and had wedged himself in-between the taller forms of Caduceus and Fjord to avoid bumping shoulders with any strangers. Nott had climbed up onto Caduceus’ shoulders and seemed to be greatly enjoying the sights her new height granted her, while Beau simply watched the processions with mild curiosity.

 

“Not like this in Nicodranas?” Jester started at Beau’s voice as the soldiers continued past, some of them smiling but none breaking formation to even catch any of the streamers that the crowd threw out onto the streets.

 

“Back home they all seemed more… fun. Not so…” Jester fumbled for the right word, pursing her lips together.

 

“Militaristic?” When Jester nodded, Beau shrugged her shoulders. “They don’t exactly let us celebrate the actual god this holiday’s about so they decided to make it about something more appropriate. Themselves and how awesome they are and how much they'd totally destroy any country that tries to go against them.”

 

Her tone was teasing but she rolled her eyes at the last words, patting Jester lightly on the shoulder. “Apparently the floats are a lot more spirited.”

 

As promised, things did become more exciting once the actual floats rolled around. The music picked up, now played not by soldiers but seemingly by local bands, quick and upbeat songs coexisting with the cheers and shouts. The floats were filled mostly with people that Jester didn’t recognise, waving flags and holding signs and waving to the crowds.

 

Every now and then there _was_ someone she recognised from days spent trawling the internet for interesting things to see, local celebrities that were happy to get their faces out for a local event.

 

Her heart pumping with adrenaline just from being apart of it, Jester found herself being swept away in the excitement, whistling and clapping with those around her. Many of the floats were decorated with lights and bright colours, some clearly themed after something she had little context to. Sometimes Beau would lean close to her and explain some historical event or victory that had happened decades or hundreds of years ago, from the foundation of the Empire to defeating some vicious foe she had never heard of.

 

In the warmth of the crowd it hardly felt like it was winter, even when the sky grew more overcast as hours ticked by in what seemed like minutes. At one point Caduceus passed out sandwiches to everyone from his satchel, even having extras when Beau and Nott asked about them.

 

The parade slowly thinned out, some citizens beginning to disperse and others crossing the barrier to follow the end of the parade down along the Interspread Sprawl. The sun was beginning to slip behind apartment buildings, the temperature dropping as evening approached.

 

“What now?” Fjord asked, sticking his head in between Jester and Zuala. “Looks like it’s over.”

 

“I think everything heads to the Pentamarket where they have like, fireworks and things,” Jester said, trying to remember the research she and Nott had done while huddled over their phones.

 

“But _we_ have a way better plan.” Nott whooped from where she was now happily settled standing on Caduceus’ shoulders, holding onto his hat for support. She drummed her fingers on the brim, before pointing in the general direction of home. “To the apartment, stupidly tall man!”

 

They (well, most of them… okay, some of them) cheered as they headed back to the Leaky Tap. By the time they actually all climbed up the nine flights of stairs, losing Yasha and Zuala on the eighth floor so they could grab some things from their apartment, the cheering had petered out to a vaguely excited ‘yay’, with the others also returning to their respective apartments with an agreement to reconvene at Jester, Beau and Fjord’s.

 

Nevertheless, Jester refused to let such a thing as sore legs get her down, immediately rummaging through their drawers to get out all the cheap bags of chips and soft drink they’d bought with Fjord’s employee discount at Tarla’s, switching on the pretty string party lights to brighten up the room.

 

“Ah! Don’t eat anything yet!” Jester slapped Beau’s hand away from the bowl of chips while scowling at Fjord, who was hovering dangerously close to the soft drink.

 

Beau stuck her tongue out at her before retreating back to collapse into Fjord’s couch, sticking her feet up on his backpack that lay on the ground next to it. “Buzzkill.”

 

There was a knock on the door, which Fjord opened to reveal Caduceus standing there still wearing his coat but sans the hat, his satchel seeming full again and a covered plate in his hand. “I believe guests are supposed to bring food to a party?”

 

Jester gasped, darting over to pull Caduceus into the apartment. “You totally didn’t have to but that’s so nice! What did you bring?”

 

“Just a selection of some nice snacks.” Caduceus pulled back the covering on the plate to reveal an array of small treats in varying shades of green, purple and brown that Jester didn’t recognise at all. She’d never thought of vegetables having a smell before, but if they did, this was it.

 

“Wow!” She said brightly, hoping her utter obliviousness at whatever these were didn’t show on her face.

 

“You’re vegetarian, I take it?” Fjord asked once the plate was shoved into his hands.

 

“You could probably call it that.” Caduceus had a calm, easy-going smile that rarely seemed to waver, looking around the apartment. “Your place looks very nice.”

 

“Thank you! We cleaned it up especially!” As long as they didn’t step foot in Beau and Jester’s room, where they’d dumped all the junk they didn’t want anyone else to see.

 

A few minutes later Yasha and Zuala arrived as well, Yasha holding her ancient radio in her hands.

 

“You brought it!” Jester clapped her hands together and took the radio, immediately beginning to fiddle with the knobs and buttons, only succeeding in making bursts of static. “How do you get the music?”

 

Yasha took the radio back before she could do anything else, an awkward smile on her face while Zuala walked in to say hi to everyone else. She methodically pressed a few buttons and turned one of the knobs very slowly and sure enough, after a few moments, classical music began to play.

 

“Oooh~” Jester had watched closely, twiddling her fingers. “Can we play different music?”

 

“You have to turn this one slowly.” Yasha pointed out the correct knob before passing it back over to Jester, immediately shuffling over to the social safety of being within five feet of her wife, who was talking to Fjord and Caduceus. Beau had snuck back over to the kitchen and was opening up every packet of food with reckless abandon, piling up a plastic plate.

 

Jester went to the dining table to figure out the radio, carefully turning the knob that Yasha had pointed out. It cycled through stations of classical music, more classical music, some weird hymns, even more classical music, some random guy talking about the government, heavy metal? Country music, more hymns, a music style she didn’t even recognise, and then rap that went too quickly for her to keep up with.

 

Well, that wouldn’t do at all. Determined to find proper party music, she continued turning the dial. Why there were so many stations dedicated to classical music, she’d never know. At some point in her search, Caleb arrived, Frumpkin happily trotting next to him.

 

“Awww, he’s so cute!” Zuala seemed instantly smitten, crouching down and patting him.

 

“Isn’t Fjord allergic?” Beau called out in-between mouthfuls of chips.

 

“I’ve been around him before and I’ve been alright.” Fjord pointed out, though he’d taken an instinctive step back when Caleb had entered. “Which was weird, now that I think about it.”

 

“Ah, that would be because Frumpkin is a familiar,” Caleb said.

 

There was a short beat of silence wherein most of those present simply looked at Caleb blankly, with only Beau making a short noise of recognition. After that moment passed, Caleb cleared his throat.

 

“He is magic. Not exactly a real cat, so he would not trigger any allergies.” As if to confirm it, Frumpkin meowed, sitting down and seeming very appreciative of Zuala’s scratches under his chin.

 

“Magic hypoallergenic cat?” Fjord blinked, looking back and forth from Frumpkin to Caleb.

 

“You wanna hold the cat, don’t you,” Beau said bluntly.

 

Jester giggled, temporarily ignoring the radio. “Pick him up, Fjord! You can finally hold a cat!”

 

“Uh, I mean-” Fjord took a step forward, looking remarkably uncertain of himself considering his current predicament was whether to pick up a cat or not. He folded his arms, seemingly in an attempt to seem casual. “You know, if Caleb is alright with it.”

 

“By all means, go ahead.” Jester could have _sworn_ that the corner of Caleb’s mouth was quirking upwards, gesturing down towards Frumpkin. “He does not bite. Mostly.”

 

“He’s absolutely adorable!” Zuala picked Frumpkin up before Fjord could so much as take a step towards him, bringing the cat over to him herself. “Here.”

 

Silently, Fjord held out his arms for Zuala to deposit the tabby cat into them, stiffening up once Zuala took her hands away. His face scrunched up a little like he expected to start sneezing at any moment but soon relaxed.

 

“How’s it feel?” Jester teased, picking up the radio and beginning to fiddle with the knob again.

 

Fjord’s answer was oddly sharp, one of his hands stroking the top of Frumpkin’s head. “Good. Good.” Frumpkin began to loudly purr. “Oh my god.”

 

“Don’t start crying on us or anything.” Beau seemed absolutely delighted by this turn of events.

 

“I’m _not_.”

 

“Where’s Nott?” Caduceus asked, making everyone suddenly hyperaware of the goblin’s absence.

 

Caleb shrugged, watching Fjord and Frumpkin closely. “She is collecting some things, I believe. She said she wouldn’t be long.”

 

As if mentioning her name had summoned her, the door suddenly slammed open, having drifted shut after Caleb’s entrance. Nott stood in the doorway, multiple glass bottles grasped in hand and one leg lowering to the ground.

 

“I brought the _booze!_ ”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ayyyyyyy wassssssup only a few more days to NaNo ayyyy
> 
> also I put in a little 'previously on' thing up in the chapter summary, which I think I'll go through and add to all the previous chapters as well. 
> 
> Anyway it's finally New Dawn!!! Yay!!!


	23. Beau 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: It's finally New Dawn, and Jester is extremely excited. After gently encouraging the others to get ready in time, she and her friends make their way down to the streets of the city to watch the parade, which turns out to be a bit more patriotic than she'd originally imagined, but no less fun. After the parade is over they head back to Jester's apartment for a party. Fjord holds a cat without sneezing for the first time in his life, and Nott supplies the alcohol.

As with most parties that Beau had ever been to, things got a lot less awkward once the alcohol came out. As Nott gleefully proclaimed while pulling mismatched shot glasses out of some pockets, there was also no better time to get drunk than on a holiday.

 

It took another ten minutes for Jester to find a radio station that she was happy with, one that seemed to exclusively play pop songs that had been popular before she’d even been born. Clapping her hands in delight, she turned the volume up as high as it could go before breezing to where some of them were clumped together.

 

Nott poured a shot of probably stolen whiskey and pushed it towards Jester, who took one sniff of it before scrunching up her nose. “Yuck, this smells disgusting!”

 

“That’s why you drink it quickly.” Nott nodded as if she were imparting sage advice, before taking the glass back when Jester didn’t take it, downing the shot herself.

 

“You more of a wine gal?” Beau tilted her head, leaning against the dining table.

 

“Ew, no, wine is super gross. I snuck some of my Mama’s once and nearly threw up.” Jester stuck her tongue out, before folding her arms. “I’ve never had any alcohol that isn’t totally yuck.”

 

“Hey, it leaves more for the rest of us.” Beau threw back her own shot, closing her eyes at the burn of the whiskey. Definitely stolen. “Where’d ya get this, Nott?”

 

“A lady never reveals her secrets.” Nott winked, pouring another two shots and jumping down from the chair she’d climbed upon. “Caleb! Caleb, I got you some!”

 

Beau poured herself a cup of lemonade to wash out the taste of whiskey, casting her eyes over the room to watch what the others were doing. Fjord had yet to let go of Frumpkin even to get some food or drink and was now sitting on his couch with the cat on his lap, alternating between scratching his fur and playing with his tail. If it had been a normal cat, Beau was certain he would’ve been mauled by now, but Frumpkin seemed to enjoy the attention, and Fjord was absolutely jubilant.

 

Caduceus and Yasha were standing on the other side of the food table and seemed to be having a very happy conversation about flowers and plants, small smiles on their faces and plates of food in their hands.

 

Zuala, Caleb and Nott were standing close to the apartment door. Caleb and Nott were both holding a shot glass while Zuala was chatting about something, tapping her foot in time with the music.

 

The current song ended, another that Beau vaguely recognised from school discos that she’d never stayed at for very long starting up after only a few moments of silence. She was happy to stay by the food, but all of a sudden a blue hand caught onto her wrist, Jester’s face absolutely lighting up.

 

“I know this one! It used to be one of my favourites!” She announced, pulling Beau around the table.

 

“You used to listen to music from like, before 805?” Beau managed to put her cup of lemonade down before it spilled, Jester pulling taking her other hands and pulling them together.

 

“Yeah! My mama had all these old records and CDs with old music and she’d play them for me all the time!” She was bopping her head to the beat and bouncing on her toes. “Dance with me!”

 

“What?” Beau wasn’t sure if it was because of the multiple shots she’d already had, but suddenly her face felt hot and Jester was just looking at her with an absolutely brilliant smile. “Oh, I don’t really dance. Ever. With anyone.”

 

Jester pouted, standing on the tips of her toes and leaning in closer. “Pleeeease? I’m a very good dancer, you know~”

 

Biting the inside of her cheek, Beau could already feel her resolve breaking. Deciding to blame it on the alcohol she exhaled, the corner of her mouth quirking up into a half-smile. “Alright, you got me.”

 

In a flash Jester was smiling again, pulling Beau away from the table and into the emptiest space they could find — which still left them in danger of bumping into Caleb or Zuala. Almost immediately Jester began to move, letting go of Beau’s hands so she could spin around, her hips rocking from side to side as she sang the lyrics, barely missing a word.

 

Beau didn’t remember the song nearly as well as Jester did but she was definitely not about to be outdone, taking Jester’s hand and spinning her around until she came to a stop, giggles spilling out of her like water overflowing from a cup and her other hand held to her head. Her laughter rang in Beau’s head, her stomach tying itself in knots. Perhaps that was just the alcohol.

 

“My turn!” Jester shouted out, raising her arms and pulling Beau’s shoulder to get her to spin, which she only managed to do four times before she had to stop, resting her hands on Jester’s shoulders before she threw up. That was _definitely_ the alcohol.

 

“Oh my gods, Jes, I’m gonna be sick!” She laughed, leaning heavily on Jester as her legs stumbled to a stop, Jester’s arms coming underneath her own to support her. She felt Jester’s tail winding itself around her ankle, another anchor of steadiness that stopped her from falling over completely.

 

“Okay, okay, no more fast spinning~” Jester’s cheeks were blushing purple, her eyes sparkling and her voice breathless. The song was nearly over, an ad beginning to play as the music faded out.

 

They staggered dizzily over to the table to get some more drinks, and when the music began to play again this time Jester managed to drag Nott and Zuala along with her, encouraging all of them to dance. They, in turn, pulled in Caleb and Yasha, respectively, until all six of them were on the impromptu dance floor laughing as they tried to copy dance moves from the more confident among them or tried not to spill drinks they’d inadvertently brought with them.

 

“Caduceus! Fjord! Get over here!” Jester called out, her hand still holding Beau’s tight, no longer spinning her around but instead pulling her to and fro with the rhythm, waving their arms around and jumping up and down.

 

“Nope! I’m staying here all night!” Fjord said, having gained a drink at some point and now lying down on the couch, stroking a purring Frumpkin.

 

Beau saw Caleb’s small smile (he’d definitely had at least a little alcohol as well) widened before he clicked his tongue, Frumpkin immediately launching himself off of Fjord’s chest and weaving between their legs to jump into Caleb’s open arms, where he promptly passed him off to a very happy Zuala.

 

“Noooooo-”

 

“C’mon you dork!” Beau teased, darting the few feet to the couch to grab Fjord’s arm and pull him up to his feet, Jester helping bring him into the dancing area. On the other side of the room, Nott and Zuala were doing the same for Caduceus, who didn’t resist but insisted that he didn’t actually know how to dance to pop music like this.

 

So, of course, the next three songs were dedicated exclusively to teaching Caduceus how to dance, all of them offering suggestions that didn’t mesh with what everyone else was saying at all, especially when Nott passed out more shots after the second song.

 

Jester was halfway through showing them a dance she’d learned off the internet when Caleb paused, hardly reacting when Fjord narrowly missed tripping over him. “Ah, I think the fireworks are going to start soon.”

 

“What?!”

 

Half of them raced to a window or the balcony, squinting in the Pentamarket’s general direction. Or what they _hoped_ was its general direction.

 

“We have to watch them!” Jester said, wrapping her arms around Beau and shaking her back and forth. “They’re going to be so cool!”

 

There was a gasp from somewhere behind Beau, and when she looked over her shoulder she saw Zuala with her eyes wide. “The roof! We can go up to the roof!”

 

“Are we allowed on the roof?” Fjord had regained Frumpkin at some point, holding him close. Yasha and Zuala both paused, narrowing their eyes as if they had never actually considered this question.

 

Before they could come up with an answer, Nott’s gravelly voice burst all their eardrums. “To the roof!”

 

“How do we get up there?” Jester asked breathlessly, and distantly Beau wondered if her smile had ever faded once the entire day. It was a beautiful smile.

 

“I can climb up, and then pull all of you up.” Beau bragged, looking up at the roof to judge her climbing ability.

 

There was actually a surprising amount of distance between where they were and the actual roof, with no easy handholds on the way there. Not to mention she had drunk… a lot.

 

“Yeah, I could totally do it.”

 

Caduceus poked his head out the doorway back into the apartment over Yasha and Zuala, possibly the only one of them besides Jester that hadn’t drunk anything. “May I suggest the fire escape?”

 

“Nah I could totally climb up.”

 

“I definitely believe you, you don’t have to do that.”

 

“Watch, I’ll do it right now-”

 

Once again, Nott interrupted. “Last one to the fire escape sucks eggs!” She screeched, before promptly bolting out the door.

 

In an instant, any thought of climbing up herself was abandoned and Beau raced towards the fire escape as quickly as she could, the others following suit behind her.

 

They managed to climb up perfectly safely and with absolutely no clumsy slips that could’ve left them plummeting to the streets below, even though Nott beat her. She still came second though.

 

The rest of them all climbed up themselves, only about half of them having the common sense to grab their coats or jumpers before they did.

 

The roof seemed a lot smaller than it probably actually was, half of it taken up by a dilapidated appearing greenhouse, the glass cracked and holes covered up by plastic duct-taped to the side.

 

“Hey Yasha, isn’t this where you grow your flowers?” Jester asked, pressing her face up to the glass and trying to peer inside.

 

“Ah, yes,” Yasha said, holding two coats in her arms. “Please don’t go inside, it’s very cold for them.”

 

“Did you build this whole greenhouse?” Beau poked at some of the cracks, accidentally pushing a tiny piece of glass so that it shifted and quickly taking a step away before anyone could notice. Thankfully, Yasha was busy passing off one of the coats to Zuala, who had come up without one.

 

“No, it was already here when we first arrived. We just… fixed it and started using it.” Yasha shrugged, pressing a kiss to the back of her wife’s head and telling her to put her coat on.

 

“So coooool~” Jester pushed off from the greenhouse before bouncing over to the other side of the roof, which faced out into the street and, further into the city, towards the Pentamarket.

 

A gust of cold air blew into them, Beau squeezing her eyes shut until it passed, rubbing her arms. She’d worn her jacket earlier in the day but had left it hanging off one of the chairs back in their apartment, leaving her in just her jeans and the only long-sleeved shirt that she owned.

 

Shivering lightly, Beau walked over to where everyone else had gathered at the roof, waiting for the fireworks to start.

 

Glancing around at the others, she could see Yasha was holding Frumpkin, smiling while both Zuala and Fjord cooed over him, all of them with cheeks flushed and eyes slightly dazed from the alcohol. Caduceus was standing close by with a thick coat that had an almost obnoxiously fluffy lining, hood up with his eyes nearly completely closed and his hands loosely clasped in front of him. Caleb had wrapped a scarf practically completely around his face and for a moment Beau didn’t see Nott, before noticing her head poking out from the middle of Caleb’s coat, her feet resting on top of his, while she loudly complained about how cold it was.

 

“You should have fetched your coat, then.” Caleb simply said, before sighing softly and digging around in his pockets for a moment and whispering arcane words into the air, making a gesture with his hand before a tiny spark of flame appeared at his fingertips, coalescing into a small ball of pure flame that rested on his palm.

 

“Thanks, Caleb,” Nott mumbled, shuffling around contentedly inside his coat as Caleb held the hand a little below her face.

 

Rubbing her hands together to try and get some feeling back into her fingers, Beau stepped up next to Jester, who was looking intently towards the Pentamarket, her tail coiled around her leg.

 

She glanced in Beau’s direction when she stepped up, only to do a double-take. “Beau, you look cold.”

 

Chuckling, Beau promptly stuck her hands in the pockets of her jeans, trying to focus on the buzz in her head. “Nah, I’m fine.”

 

“But you’re shivering.” Jester frowned, one hand reaching out before hesitating.

 

“Oh, definitely not. You must be seeing things.” Beau stuck her nose in the air and closed her eyes, only opening them when she heard Jester stifle a giggle.

 

“You’re lying, I can see you shaking.” She said, before sing-songing, “I haven’t had any booze, remember~”

 

Beau grumbled what she imagined to be a very good retort to that, only for Jester to wrap an arm around her shoulder, pulling her into her side. The cotton of her jumper tickled the back of her neck, the coolness of her skin easily felt even through her shirt (probably more a testament to how awful her shirt was than anything else).

 

Her breath caught in her throat for a split second for no discernible reason, and after a moment she gingerly let her own arm wind around Jester’s waist, her fingers curling into a loose fist. Her stomach was doing flips (it had to be the alcohol, right) and she could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks (definitely the alcohol).

 

A distant cheer broke the air, soon followed by an explosion of light into the air, fireworks beginning to take off.

 

Some of them disappeared into the clouds, creating a multicoloured backdrop for those that didn’t, like a rainbow lightning storm. Next to her, Beau could feel Jester gasp, her gaze no longer focused on Beau but instead turned upwards, nothing but wonder reflected in her eyes.

 

Nott whooped nearby, and so did Zuala and Fjord, while most of the others watched quietly, drinking in the moment.

 

Beau stared up at the fireworks as well, no longer feeling cold despite the fact that she really should be. She would have blamed it on Caleb’s magical fire if he weren’t six feet away with Caduceus standing between them, so it had to be something else.

 

She felt something curling around her leg and, wondering when Frumpkin had escaped his new best friends, looked over only to see Yasha still holding the cat, purring contentedly. Looking down, she saw Jester’s tail winding loosely around her ankle, and when she glanced at Jester, she saw the tiefling still watching the night sky, oohing with every new firework and the most adorable grin on her face.

 

An unconscious thing, she decided. Perhaps Jester was cold too. Perhaps not. A small part of her hoped not, but she wasn’t nearly sober enough to dissect what that meant.

 

Biting her tongue, Beau tried to push the thought from her mind. When Jester tilted her head to rest on Beau’s shoulder, she said nothing. Standing on the rooftop, with fireworks lighting up the sky she quietly realised she was surrounded by the first people she’d been able to call friends and neighbours in years. In almost her whole life.

 

“Isn’t it beautiful?” Jester didn’t seem to be talking to anyone in particular, her hand squeezing Beau’s shoulder.

 

Glancing down at Jester, Beau’s voice came out soft. “Yeah.”

 

Above them, the first snowflakes of the season and the new year began to fall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> are yall picking up what im putting down here??? huh??? huh???? 
> 
> anyway nanowrimo has started and im losing my goddamn mind so the notes for chapters this month may be even less coherent than usual ummm be gay do crimes yasha and zuala are here to be adorable and happy and hold all the braincells annnnd mmmm beaujester rights


	24. Beau 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: The New Dawn party is well underway in Beau, Jester and Fjord's apartment. There's music, dancing, food, alcohol, and Fjord refuses to let go of the magic cat. As the night wears on the gang head up to the roof to watch the fireworks, though some of them (Beau) forget to bring up a coat. Jester notices how Beau is shivering and hugs her to try and help, as the fireworks begin and snow begins to fall.

It smelt like moss. Moss and trees and river water.

 

That was the first thing Beau realised.

 

The second thing she realised was that this bed was far more comfortable than the one she and Jester shared.

 

The third thing she realised was that there was a very heavy and warm blanket on top of her.

 

The fourth was that she was currently curled around a soft, cool humanoid-shaped pillow.

 

Beau cracked her eyes open, and for a moment all she saw was blue. It took a moment for her to figure out that that was because the humanoid-shaped pillow was actually a person. Specifically Jester. And Beau’s face was laying on her shoulder. Oh.

 

Freezing up, Beau very carefully took stock of the rest of the situation. Jester was lying on her back and still sleeping soundly, while Beau was on her side more or less attached to her like a koala, her arms wrapped around tight and her legs tangled with Jester’s, the tiefling's tail winding around her ankle. They were still wearing the clothes they’d had on the previous night and Beau’s hair felt like it had come loose from the topknot she usually kept it in.

 

Huh. Okay.

 

This wasn’t exactly the first time she’d woken up next to Jester, but usually (usually) she wasn’t _this_ close. And whenever she was, she was quick to try and extract herself from it. Jester had never said anything about it, but that didn’t necessarily mean she enjoyed it, and the last thing Beau wanted was for Jester to feel uncomfortable in her own bed.

 

Biting the inside of her cheek, Beau carefully pulled herself out of the arrangement, starting with her arms before untangling her legs. Mercifully, Jester remained fast asleep, her face completely serene.

 

Lightheadedness overtook her as soon as she sat up, a relatively small hangover pushing in the back of her head and blurring the edges of her vision. Stroking her temple, Beau squeezed her eyes shut for a moment before opening them again on the exhale.

 

Jester shuffled around, rolling onto her side facing away from Beau, the blanket wriggling down so that it only covered her lower body. Silently, Beau pulled the blanket up over Jester’s shoulders, before pulling her hands away.

 

Looking around, Beau realised that they were definitely not in their bedroom. In fact, Beau didn’t recognise this room at all. It was slightly smaller than their bedroom, with a sheer pink cloth hanging over the window filtering the early morning light. There were strange-looking plants sitting in the corner of the room and small mismatched tables loaded with rocks and other random knick-knacks that looked as if they’d been picked up off the ground. The walls themselves almost appeared as if they were covered in moss or lichen, and the floor was covered in fuzzy rugs.

 

The entire place smelled like she was in some forest somewhere rather than inside an apartment.

 

If she had to guess… this was Caduceus’ place.

 

Jeez, she couldn’t even remember falling asleep in here. Beau rubbed the last of the sleep from her eyes, seeing an open door that led to a hallway. Casting a final look at the still-sleeping Jester, Beau slipped out of the bed and stood up, stretching her arms above her head.

 

Tentatively stepping out the door, Beau peered down the hall towards where the living room would probably be, seeing more fuzzy rugs and benches with candles and trinkets on them. There were also indiscernible mounds on the ground, covered by blankets. She could hear light snoring and the sound of heavy breathing.

 

Curious but careful to keep her steps as silent as possible, she headed down the hallway to what she did indeed recognise as the living room of Caduceus’ apartment, from the brief look she’d gotten of it the previous day.

 

On the ground was Yasha and Zuala curled up to each other, Zuala being the source of the snoring she’d heard, both of them with pillows and draped in blankets that were more than big enough for them. Yasha was lying flat on her back and Beau did a double-take, realising her eyes were _open_ , a slightly exasperated look on her face.

 

After a moment, her gaze drifted towards Beau, both of them blinking at each other.

 

“Oh, good morning,” Yasha said, tilting her head slightly towards her but otherwise staying still.

 

“Hi.” Beau stared for a moment. “Have you been awake for long?”

 

There was another snore, and Yasha’s eyes flickered towards Zuala, smiling softly. “Only a while.”

 

There was a short silence before Beau looked away, scratching at her wrists and looking around the rest of the room. She saw Fjord completely sprawled out on a soft one-person chair, his head tipped back over one of the arms and one of his legs propped up against the back, absolutely dead to the world. A blanket had been thrown over him as well, and a pillow lay on the floor close by.

 

On another, longer couch was Caleb, with Nott lying down square on top of him, only the top of her head poking out from beneath the blanket that was over them. Both of them still seemed soundly asleep, even though Caleb still seemed to be wearing his coat and all of his scarves.

 

“Ah, good morning Beau.” Looking up towards the kitchenette, Beau saw Caduceus standing at the small kitchen bench, setting out a collection of weathered-looking ceramic teacups, all carefully painted with flowers and vines. Frumpkin was grooming himself by his feet, seeming unscathed and unbothered. “Did you sleep well?”

 

“Great, yeah.” Beau looked around in vain for an unoccupied chair to sit at, before finally walking closer to the kitchenette and leaning against the wall. “How did we end up in here?”

 

“Well, after you finished the karaoke competition-”

 

“The what now?”

 

“Everyone was starting to get tired so I suggested we get some tea, which everyone was very agreeable to.” Caduceus continued with barely a pause to acknowledge Beau’s interruption, rolling up the sleeves of a long dressing gown and walking over to a whistling kettle.

 

“How drunk was I at that point?” Beau frowned, trying to sort through her memories of the previous night, that were apparently far more muddled than she’d thought. She remembered being on the roof, and then they had gone down at some point… and then there were a lot of fuzzy memories of singing and dancing.

 

“You hadn’t thrown up yet, I think,” Caduceus said, the tone of his voice not changing at all.

 

“ _Yet?_ ”

 

“I’m joking, you didn’t throw up.” He looked at Beau over his shoulder, smiling far too warmly for whatever time in the morning it was. “You were very sleepy by the time we all got here, though.”

 

Yasha’s voice piped up from the floor, quiet but clear. “I think you fell asleep on Jester.”

 

“Jeez, really?” Wincing, Beau pinched the bridge of her nose, trying to imagine that happening and only able to conjure up embarrassment.

 

“Yes, Jester thought it was very adorable.”

 

Oh gods, she didn’t know if that was worse or not. Feeling her face heat up, she decided it was worse.

 

“Here, this will help wake you up.” Caduceus pushed a cup of steaming tea into her hands, sipping from another one as he did.

 

Beau pointedly concentrated very hard on blowing on her tea to avoid further conversation, only distantly listening to Yasha and Caduceus make quiet small talk with each other.

 

She was halfway through the tea when there was shuffling under the blanket that was covering Nott, the goblin battling it for a short while before finally emerging, her ears sagging and her eyes still half-closed, half her hair hanging over her eyes.

 

Nott sat up, her head swivelling to look around the room, drinking it all in before finally stretching out her arms. “Well, that was fun.”

 

There was a small chorus of ‘morning’s and a cup of tea was offered, which Nott took, now sitting cross-legged on top of Caleb’s chest. She squinted, concentrating hard for a moment before pointing at Caduceus. “You were sober last I remember, did anything happen that I should be concerned about?”

 

Caduceus blinked, and if Beau had to guess, he had no idea how to judge whether something was something Nott would be concerned about. But he frowned, seeming to consider the question before finally saying, “Not that I’m aware of.”

 

“Cool.” Nott patted at her pockets with one hand, mumbling to herself before switching to rummaging through Caleb’s pockets with deft fingers, eventually plucking out her phone and tapping frantically at it, narrowing her eyes at whatever she was looking at. “Okay, we’re good.”

 

“What kind of shit do you get up to at other parties?” Beau raised an eyebrow, patting her pockets to make sure _her_ phone was still there.

 

Nott took a very long sip of her tea, shrugging her shoulders. “Not necessarily at parties, I just like to make sure that if I’ve hypothetically committed a crime while drunk I know what I did so I can accurately prepare a hypothetical cover story or hide the hypothetical evidence.”

 

“And how many times have you hypothetically had to do that?”

 

Nott mumbled some nonsense into her tea, pointedly avoiding eye contact.

 

“If I find any of my stuff missing I’ll be hunting you down.” Beau placed her empty cup of tea down on the kitchen counter, folding her arms as she went back to her spot at the wall.

 

“I’m _appalled_ you would ever think-”

 

“I know where you live.”

 

“You’d never be able to prove it was me.”

 

After a short staring contest that ended when both of them blinked but were too drowsy to notice the other doing so and eventually got bored, Beau settled back for soaking in the ray of sunshine that made it through one of the windows, looking outside to see a mostly cloudy sky.

 

“I believe it’s going to snow again soon,” Caduceus said brightly, seated on the floor close to the chair Fjord was passed out in. “Most of what fell last night is nearly melted by now.”

 

“Oh, I remember that.” Beau perked up. “Will it snow later today?”

 

“Hopefully not enough to make the roads icy,” Yasha said, one hand absentmindedly stroking Zuala’s hair. “Driving could get so dangerous when it was icy.”

 

“I always hated snow.” Beau murmured, more to herself than anything. “Made everything harder.”

 

The sound of soft footsteps caught her attention, and Beau looked up to see a yawning Jester walk into the room, her jumper very loosely tied around her waist and looking in danger of falling at any moment. “Oh here’s everyone.”

 

After being told where to pour herself some tea from Caduceus, Jester proceeded to mumble her way through a good morning to everyone, eventually taking a seat on the arm of the couch that Caleb and Nott were on, her eyes half-lidded and her feet dragging. “What’re we talkin about?”

 

“Snow.” Yasha supplied helpfully, and Jester’s ears perked up a little even if the rest of her didn’t.

 

“Oh, I love snow. We don’t get a lot of it back home.” She scrunched her nose up, staring hard into her tea. “I think… three times, I remember three times we got snow back home.”

 

“That’s so interesting. We got snow every year back in my home.” Caduceus said. “It was always fascinating to see how the foliage changed with the season. Very picturesque, as my sister would say.”

 

“We got snow a lot too. Usually, it meant no one would really go anywhere until it got warmer.” Yasha said.

 

“What about you, Beau? Did you get lots of snow?” Jester asked. “Did you ever get to play in it? I wasn’t allowed, but once I snuck out and then I got sick. Mama was so upset at me.”

 

“I’ve had to deal with plenty of snow. It’s a real bitch to try and sleep through when you’ve got no tent.” Beau rolled her eyes, but once she finished the sentence she could feel the others close their mouths, silence hanging in the air for just a few moments. A ‘Beau just said something that reminded everyone of how stupid her life had been and now none of them know how to respond’ silence.

 

Ah. Beau quickly looked away before she had to actually see that on the other’s faces, feeling her arms tense. “I mean, it’s whatever. Snow’s pretty, I guess.”

 

“It is pretty… and you don’t have to worry about a tent now, cause we’ve got our apartment!” Jester’s cheer sounded forced even for someone who just woke up. “It’ll keep you super warm.”

 

“Yeah, sure.” Beau murmured, concentrating very hard on a random leaf that was on Caduceus’ floor for some reason. She’d be warm for now at least, with the apartment. She’d enjoy it for as long as it lasted.

 

Soon Caduceus changed the subject with some random statement about plants or whatever, the others quickly picking it up and letting Beau stand by the kitchenette in silence. Eventually, Caleb, Fjord, and Zuala woke up, all of them groggy and slightly hungover, and once the last of them had downed some of Caduceus’ tea, they all began to disperse.

 

Nott and Caleb went first, Caleb whistling lowly for Frumpkin to follow as they left, catching the cat in his arms and stroking his fur softly. Yasha and Zuala went next, Zuala still leaning on her wife almost half-asleep, thanking Caduceus profusely for the tea and also the amazing competition on the dance floor (seriously, how had Beau forgotten that).

 

Finally, Jester and Beau got Fjord to his feet to push him out of the apartment, promising him that he could go back to sleep if he really wanted to once they got back to their apartment.

 

Sure enough, he collapsed onto his couch as soon as they made the short journey down the hall, not even bothering to take off his jumper.

 

“Great, he left us with all the mess to clean up.” Beau scowled, surveying their apartment. It wasn’t really _that_ bad, considering it had never been perfectly spotless to begin with, but their dining table was an absolute disaster of nearly empty plates of food, Yasha’s radio still sitting in the middle. Empty plastic cups littered the floor, and there were a few splattered stains from spilled drinks on the floor.

 

“We’ll just clean up the easy bits and leave him all the hard stuff for when he wakes up.” Jester flashed her an easy grin before picking up some of the cups off the floor.

 

Beau rolled her eyes and went to the dining table to grab some of the empty plates. She was half-expecting Jester to start humming or singing some song, so she was surprised when she began talking instead.

 

“Is it cold in our room?” She asked.

 

Beau paused where she was, looking over her shoulders to see Jester still cleaning up, not making eye contact. “What?”

 

“Our room. I’m usually really good with the cold but I know you’re different so like if you’re getting cold we could get some more blankets or a space heater or a fireplace or… something.” Jester’s voice was lilted, like it was halfway to sarcasm but actually entirely serious.

 

“I don’t think we can afford a fireplace,” Beau said bluntly.

 

“What about more blankets then?”

 

“I’m fine, the ones we’ve got are fine.” She tried to give Jester a reassuring smile. “If I need more blankets, I’ll buy one myself.”

 

“Yeah, okay. Sure.” There was a short silence before Jester spoke again. “I guess winter would kind of suck if you… you know.”

 

“Didn’t have somewhere to live?”

 

Jester visibly cringed, tucking some hair behind her ear. “… yeah. Sorry.”

 

“No, it’s not a big deal.” Beau dropped the plates she was holding into the sink with a clatter. “It happened, whatever. It wasn’t so bad.”

 

“Really?”

 

“Yeah. I was usually able to find somewhere to stay when it snowed. There’s shelters and places.” She shrugged, running a hand through her hair and realising that it wasn’t just hanging loose, but had been braided a few times, albeit a little awkwardly. Had Jester done that?

 

For some reason, her breath seemed to stutter at the thought of Jester braiding Beau’s hair while she was drunk and probably half-asleep.

 

“That’s good. But at least now you don’t have to worry about it, right?” Jester’s hopeful voice cut through her thoughts, and Beau felt a hand settle on her shoulder, heart pounding.

 

“Right.” She said, putting her hand over Jester’s for just a moment before pulling away. “I’m gonna go take a shower, ‘kay?”

 

“Yeah, Fjord can clean up everything else.” Jester kicked at an empty soft drink bottle and folded her arms. “It’s what he gets for falling asleep.”

 

Beau snickered, walking to their bedroom and rummaging through her backpack for her cleaner clothes when she felt a buzz in the pocket of her jacket. She checked her actual phone first, before pulling out the burner phone. Sure enough, the Gentleman wanted her for a job that night.

 

She stared at the text for a moment, one hand still in her backpack. If she dug deeper, she’d find all the money she had saved up from her crime gang jobs so far, carefully tucked away for the worst case scenario. Hopefully she wouldn’t need it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wasnt that a nice party some cuteness and softness and good times (: im so tired nanowrimo is killing me skjdhfbksjdfhgf


	25. Fjord 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau wakes up with a mild hangover in Caduceus' apartment of all places, hugging a still-asleep Jester. She comes out to find everyone else gathered or still asleep in the living room, where they discuss the previous night while waiting for everyone else to wake up. The discussion turns to snow and after an awkward question Beau closes off. Once everyone is awake they disperse, and after returning to their apartment Jester brings up the conversation again, which Beau deflects and assures her she's fine. She goes to have a shower, only to get another job from the Gentleman.

**TWENTY-FIVE DAYS LATER**

 

Fjord closed his eyes, focusing on the beating of his heart in his chest.

 

Exhaling, he held one of his hands up, feeling energy already beginning to gather, the scent of the sea filling the air.

 

Once all of the air was expelled from his lungs he opened his eyes again, narrowing in on the target in front of him. He inhaled sharply, pointed his glowing hand at the target, and fired.

 

The piece of cardboard that Beau was holding up on the other end of the hallway fell to pieces, parts of it almost melting. Beau dropped what remained with a curse, stomping on the gooey glowing green remnants of the spell until they had evaporated into the air.

 

“Woo! You did it!” Jester clapped her hands and cheered from where she was standing to one side of the hallway. Next to her, Caleb was nodding solemnly, his hands behind his back. They were standing in the hallway outside their apartments since it was a bit better for target practise.

 

“That was very nice.” He said, walking over to the remains of the cardboard and leaning over them. “It looks a bit like acid as it flies, but it definitely doesn’t act like it.”

 

“So it’s not acid, it’s not fire, it’s not weird ice or anything, what could it be?” Fjord asked, looking at his now perfectly ordinary hand.

 

“I’m afraid I have no idea.” Caleb said. “It seems to just be a kind of magical energy that only people with your kind of magic were able to wield. Perhaps a different kind of divine magic.”

 

“It just means you’re super special!” Jester bounded up to him and patted his shoulder.

 

“Thanks, Jes.” He sighed.

 

“Have you been able to find any more clues on what all of it is?” Caleb asked, picking up one of the pieces of cardboard and examining it closely.

 

“We’re pretty sure it’s something similar to these… warlock kinda dudes we’ve read about.” Beau said. “They have these super crazy beings that give them powers like clerics and paladins, but they’re not gods. Just… really powerful things.”

 

She paused for a second, before glancing at Jester. “Hey, Jes, are we sure _you’re_ not a warlock?”

 

“Definitely not! The Traveller is totally an actual god.” Jester planted her hands on her hips, her tail waving agitatedly back and forth.

 

Beau held up her hands in surrender, before looking back at Fjord. “Anyway, we’re pretty sure Fjord’s Mystery Dude isn’t a god so… warlock.”

 

“Of course, we don’t know _what_ he… they… it? Whatever it actually is.” Fjord folded his arms, walking up to Caleb and Beau at the end of the hallway.

 

Caleb hummed to himself, and in the silence Jester took the opportunity to speak. “Whoever he is, I bet you’d be able to do tonnes more of cool stuff if you kept practising! Maybe you can blast holes through walls!”

 

“Oooh, that would be so awesome!” Beau perked up at that. “Like a laser gun!”

 

“Seems more like a magic missile to me,” Caleb said blandly. “I can do those, you know.”

 

“Yeah, but is it _green?_ ” Beau scoffed, while Jester just turned to Caleb with an absolutely delighted look on her face.

 

“No, I will not demonstrate.”

 

Jester’s face fell. “You’re no fun.”

 

Caleb simply shook his head and smiled lightly, before looking up at Fjord. “Chances are, if you keep practising, you could make those powerful enough to cause damage. You will likely need something more sturdy than cardboard soon. Perhaps your… patron will show you how to perform more magic.”

 

Fjord thought about the dreams he’d had, the only interactions he’d had with the being that had seemingly granted his powers. “Yeah… he doesn’t seem the teacher type.”

 

“How so?” Caleb had been happy to help Fjord in his research and now exploration of all of this, and wasn’t afraid to admit that part of his reasoning was that it was simply very fascinating to him. He never pushed if Fjord was hesitant to answer a question, but he was obviously curious.

 

“Firstly, he hasn’t spoken to me in more than one word… commands? Very vague commands.” He shrugged, looking down at his hands. “To be honest, I figured out the laser hands thing by accident.”

 

“In some of the stories we’ve found about warlocks, some of them could do all kinds of freaky stuff. Like summoning demons.” Beau said, kicking some of the cardboard pieces on the ground with her feet. “But _apparently_ that’s too dangerous to try in a city or whatever.”

 

“I am not going to try to summon a demon.” Fjord drawled, shooting an overly fake smile in Beau’s direction, which she purposefully ignored.

 

“It would be so cool, though, wouldn’t it?” Jester said, her eyes sparkling.

 

“Even if I _could_ , I would not summon a demon.”

 

“Ja, that is very unwise.” Caleb said, seeming uncertain if Beau or Jester were being serious or not. In his defence, Fjord wasn’t always sure himself.

 

“Jester, you’re the only person I can trust with magic.” Beau scowled.

 

Ignoring both women, Fjord turned to Caleb. “Other kinds of magic we’ve heard about warlocks includes things like illusion magic, summoning swords, that kind of stuff. Do you think I’d really be able to learn all that stuff?”

 

Caleb nodded. “If you are correct about being a warlock, I do not see a reason why you wouldn’t be able to. Though… trial and error seems a horribly inefficient way to learn magic.”

 

“Maybe it was different back when warlocks were crawling all over the place. I just wish those books had been able to tell us more.” Fjord sighed. “Thanks again for helping me with all this.”

 

“It is not a bother.” A ghost of a smile crossed Caleb’s face, gone as soon as it had appeared. “Do you still have any of the books?”

 

“Nah, we snuck the last ones back in a week ago. We took pictures of all the important parts, at least. A whole twelve pictures from hundreds of pages of books.” He rolled his eyes. At the very least, he was thankful he wasn’t spending his free time slogging through books anymore.

 

“Very well. Unless there’s anything else you’d like to ask, I believe we’re about done here. “ Caleb glanced towards their friends, only to find Beau holding up one of the larger chunks of blasted cardboard, while Jester was pointing a finger at it, demanding lightning or something to shoot out of it.

 

They watched them for a moment before Caleb simply waved goodbye and headed back to his apartment.

 

Jester huffed very loudly, finally settling for taking the piece of cardboard and stomping it into the group with the heel of her boot. “Hmph. Who needs super cool magic lasers anyway.”

 

“I’m sure the Traveller could teach you how to do hand lasers.” Beau nodded sympathetically as she walked towards their apartment door. 

 

It was still only late afternoon, well before Fjord would need to worry about heading to work, so he fell back onto his couch once he got inside, exhaling contentedly while Beau and Jester bickered about what to have for dinner. They only got to the point where they were trying to decide if fast food was an option or not before Jester’s phone buzzed. She fished it out of her pocket and looked at it, perking up immediately.

 

“Ooh, someone wants to commission me!” She swiped a few things on the screen, mouth mumbling a little as she read.

 

“What do they want you to paint?” Beau asked, leaning over Jester’s shoulder

 

“Their dog. Look, isn’t he cute?” Jester said, tapping Beau’s arm and angling her phone so she could see it.

 

“This is like, the third commission this week, you’re going great.” Fjord lifted his head up a little, seeing Jester beaming with pride. A couple weeks ago, bolstered by her success in selling paintings and drawings on the street, Jester had decided to ‘create an internet presence’, which mostly involved making half a dozen social media accounts, throwing photos of her paintings and sketches on them, and asking for commissions.

 

“It’s cause my art is the best art, actually~” Jester flicked some hair back, before holding up her hand for a high five that was gleefully given by Beau.

 

“Can’t believe my roommate is basically famous,” Beau said. “Don’t forget us when you’re out opening galleries in Rexxuntrum.”

 

“Oh, but you’ll both be there with me! And Nott, and Caleb, and Yasha, and Zuala, and Caduceus, and my Mama, and Blude and-” Jester continued to list off names while counting on her fingers, starting all over again once she ran out and walking across the room as she did, eventually coming and plopping herself down next to Fjord on the couch.

 

Chuckling, Fjord stretching his arms up and shuffled over to make room, thinking ahead to the next week. “Either of you two down to help me try and figure out if I can do illusion magic tomorrow?”

 

Jester instantly agreed, gushing about how the Traveller had talked about illusion magic before so he’d definitely have tips and tricks and she’d totally ask him that night, while Beau winced, scratching the back of her neck and generally looking very sheepish.

 

“Sorry, dude, I’ve got a thing to do tomorrow. I’ll be back like… after you’re gone.” She said, shooting them some finger guns and announcing she had to go to the bathroom before promptly leaving the living room.

 

Fjord and Jester sat for a moment before Jester’s whispers broke the silence.

 

“I think she’s in a fight club.” Her gaze was set on the entrance to the hallway, and if Fjord listened closely, he could hear Beau’s footsteps deeper in the apartment.

 

“During the day?” Fjord whispered back, one eyebrow raised. Jester shrugged loosely, pulling her legs up onto the couch.

 

“I dunno… I just wish I knew what she was doing. She comes back hurt sometimes, you know.”

 

Fjord’s eyes widened. “What? How hurt?”

 

“Bruises and stuff, mostly. I heal it up for her, but she never says where they came from. Just that she got into a fight or something.” Jester was wincing, holding her knees.

 

“Do you think she’s doing something illegal?” Fjord asked.

 

Jester was quiet for a moment, her eyebrows knitting together in a deep, thoughtful frown. “I don’t know. Maybe? If it was something normal, she’d just tell us, right?”

 

“Not necessarily. Maybe she goes out to let off some steam in a gym or martial arts class or something, and she’s just embarrassed to tell us for whatever reason.” In truth, Fjord wasn’t sure how likely that was. He had no idea what kind of things Beau got embarrassed about. There was a lot he didn’t know about her, but there was a lot she didn’t know about him either.

 

“I’m sure it’s not a big deal.” Fjord said, resting a hand on Jester’s shoulder. “She’s an adult, she can handle herself. If it becomes a problem, we can deal with it then.”

 

Jester didn’t seem convinced, but before she could say anything else they heard the sound of a door opening down the hallway and both promptly shut their mouths. Jester pulled out her phone again and tapped away, shoving it in front of Fjord’s face just as Beau walked back into the living area.

 

“Whatcha doing over there?” Beau asked, a little cautiously.

 

“Jester’s just showing me the picture of that dog she got hired to paint.” Fjord said quickly, flashing a smooth smile. That picture wasn’t actually what was on the screen of the phone, but Beau couldn’t see that. “You’re right, Jester, it is pretty cute.”

 

“Ah- yeah! Yeah, it definitely is.” Jester cleared her throat, before jumping to her feet. “But _anyway,_ we still haven’t decided what to do for dinner!”

 

“We can just cook some chicken and then use the leftover rice from last night, make a stir fry.” Fjord suggested, before remembering that he didn’t trust either Beau (who was absolutely worthless in the kitchen when it came to anything more complicated than porridge) or Jester (who had a habit of skipping all the most important steps in a recipe) and hastily adding, “ _I’ll_ cook the stir fry part, one of you can handle the rice.”

 

In the end, Jester took charge of the rice, which left Beau the job of clearing the table of whatever papers or jackets or other miscellaneous items had been dropped on it throughout the day. Things relaxed as the sky outside grew darker and by the time they actually had dinner, Jester was happily talking about the other commissions she’d gotten, how many followers she had so far, and how excited her mother was to hear about how she was going in Zadash.

 

Fjord kept a quiet eye on Beau whenever she wasn’t looking, which was often since she rarely seemed to get bored of listening to Jester (provided she wasn’t tired or recently woken up). She seemed… fine. Not like she was hiding some horrible secret double life that would bring doom upon them all. Then again, Fjord didn’t know how she’d act if she _was_ doing something like that.

 

They’d lived together for about three months now, so Fjord had grown used to the simple status quo of him not really prying into Beau’s life beyond the obvious. Or Jester’s, though she was in general far happier to tell everyone about her life anyway. But Beau wasn’t, and that was fine.

 

As long as it didn’t cause any problems. She was his friend, but Fjord had worked too hard to get just this bit of stability back in his life. An apartment, a job, a direction on his powers. The very last thing he wanted was for any of that to be in jeopardy.

 

Dinner finished without incident, Beau volunteering to do the dishes and allowing Fjord to start prepping for work while Jester went to her bedroom, probably to sketch or work on a commission.

 

A part of him was curious, another concerned. What could Beau have been doing that left her with bruises, that she didn’t want to explain? Or rather, deflected away from giving an answer by talking about crime gangs or something. But it was none of his business. He knew Beau well enough to know that she was stubborn, and if she hadn’t told Jester, she almost certainly wasn’t going to tell him.

 

Even so… he resolved to keep an eye on her. He knew she didn’t really have anyone she could rely on besides them — no one that she’d ever mentioned at least — and he knew what that felt like. Hell, at least he’d found some people that had given a damn about him while he’d still been in his teens, even if he’d lost them. Beau was in her mid-twenties now, and they’d only met not even half a year ago. He didn’t want anything to happen to her or Jester.

 

Hopefully, it was all just an overreaction on his and Jester’s part, and there was a perfectly normal, perhaps slightly embarrassing reason for it all. That would keep things a lot simpler, and Fjord liked it when things were simple. It was easier to control.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oops little mini-time skip nothing too big happening in this chapter but jester is sharing concerns ^_^ anyway enjoy this nice little breather 
> 
> ANYWAY   
> EPISODE 85 YALL im like shook still ive hardly been rpoductive since the episode aired like wh a t


	26. Jester 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: It's been nearly a month since New Dawn, and Fjord's been practising to strengthen his magic with Caleb's help and Beau and Jester's enthusiastic encouragement of property destruction, though so far he's only been able to destroy pieces of cardboard. Jester's art business is going well, but she admits that she's a bit worried about Beau and her 'crime gang' side hobby, confessing to Fjord that sometimes Beau comes back injured, but won't say exactly what happened. Fjord, not wanting to risk the (for now) peaceful status quo he's managed to build up, tries to reassure Jester that it's probably nothing dangerous, and that Beau is perfectly capable of handling herself. But quietly, he decides to keep an eye on things.

Jester was worried about Beau.

 

There were no ifs or buts about it, and she was going to get to the bottom of it. 

 

Fjord had told her yesterday that it probably wasn’t a big deal, but Jester wasn’t so sure. She couldn’t think of a single normal reason why Beau would want to hide whatever she’d been doing on random nights, and sometimes during the day. A fight club still seemed the most likely in her mind, but Beau had never really been afraid to say if she’d got into an argument with someone at the library (apparently Professor Bilynn was almost ridiculously forgiving) or some random person that had slipped on the icy paths and then blamed _her_ for bumping into them.

 

If she were getting into fights, it was almost _exactly_ the kind of cool illegal things that Beau would relish telling her about, exaggerating every punch and bragging about how good a fighter she was.

 

So what was it?

 

Beau had left for one of her secret adventures only a few hours ago, and Jester was too filled with nervous energy to do anything but wonder and worry about what she was doing. She’d tried drawing, but found her eyes wandering to sketches of Beau. She’d tried talking to the Traveller, but that only ended in her venting for half an hour about how much it sucked to wake up only to find Beau trying to sneak into bed with a black eye or something.

 

She was just… worried. And maybe a bit hurt.

 

Worried that someday it would be something worse, something Jester couldn’t fix with her healing magic.

 

Hurt because Beau didn’t trust her enough to talk to her about it.

 

So here she was now, sitting at their dining table with her sketchbook laying open on an empty page, her pencil tapping incessantly at the paper, tail twitching anxiously and ears drooping. Sometimes she’d look out the window at the overcast sky and falling snow, wishing she felt carefree enough to enjoy it.

 

Maybe she was overreacting. She really wanted to be overreacting. That would be great, if this was all a big misunderstanding and Beau really was just hanging out at a gym as Fjord suggested, but perhaps she didn’t want to tell them because she wanted Jester to think she was super tough and didn’t _need_ to go to a gym.

 

If that was the truth, then Jester would be able to tell her that Beau was super tough and strong and awesome whether she went to a gym or not, and then everything would be fine and maybe Jester could go with her to the gym and make sure she didn’t get beat up too much and watch her punch stuff.

 

That would be cool. It would still sting a bit, but at least it would be cool.

 

But she didn’t think it was the truth.

 

“Jester, you’re making me anxious just looking at you.” Fjord was frowning, sitting on the other side of the table with their Money Book open and a bunch of receipts stacked up next to him.

 

“Sorry.” She forced herself to stop tapping the pencil, staring down at her sketchbook.

 

There was a short pause, but Jester could feel his eyes on her. Frowning, Jester pushed the pencil to paper, painstakingly drawing as close to a perfect circle as she could. It didn’t make her feel any better.

 

“You could always go out and do some painting.” Fjord suggested. “Or hang out with Nott or someone.”

 

“Yeah, maybe.” She drew another careful circle, before sighing. “You’re right.”

 

She pulled out her phone, pulling up all of her group chats.

 

**Best Ghost Detectives EVER**

**Members: Jester, Nott**

 

**Jester: hey nott do u wanna go hang out somewhere plzzzzzz**

 

It took a full minute and a half for Nott to respond, which Jester spent staring very intently at her phone screen, trying to ignore the niggling question of what Beau was doing somewhere in the city at that very moment.

 

**Nott: I MEAN IM IN THE BIG SHOPPING CENTER LIKE TEN BLOCKS AWAY DO YOU KNOW WHERE THAT IS???**

**Jester: i think so is there a bakery?**

**Nott: PROBABLY > ITS ALL BUSY CAUSE OF THE SNOW OUTSIDE**

**Jester: ok ill go meet you there!**

**Nott: SWEET**

 

A knot of anxiety seemed to unravel at the prospect of having something else to do, something that could really take her mind off things.

 

“I’m gonna meet up with Nott at the bakery.” She announced to Fjord, standing up.

 

“Alright, sounds fun. Ask her if Caleb’s having a day off soon for me, okay?” Fjord smiled a little, and Jester promised to ask Nott before scooping up her sketchbook and making her way down the hallway to grab her bag and a jumper to protect her from the snow.

 

She walked into her and Beau’s bedroom and went right for the corner where she kept most of her things. Blank and half-finished canvases were carefully leaned against one of the walls, an old tarp laid underneath. Jester rummaged through her painting supplies in search of one of her smaller canvases, just in case she got inspired while she was out.

 

Her search fruitless after a few minutes, she huffed, sitting on their bed and looking around the room with a critical eye. After a few moments, her gaze fell on Beau’s backpack.

 

It was just sitting there, a little to the right of the door to the cupboard that she and Beau shared. Although…

 

Standing up, Jester crossed the floor over to the cupboard and opened it up. She’d mentally divided it in half long ago, always keeping her clothes to the left, and leaving space for Beau on the right. But the only thing of Beau’s that was ever hung up was her jacket, and right now even that wasn’t there. The few drawers that were underneath the hanging space were empty.

 

Again, Jester glanced at the backpack. It seemed almost impossible for Beau to be able to keep practically everything she’d owned in there. Her outfits cycled between the same three or so pairs of pants and half a dozen shirts or tank tops, mixed and matched to create almost an illusion that she had more clothes than that.

 

Surely it would be more convenient for her to unpack at least some of it and put it away. Unless she was trying to hide something.

 

Biting the inside of her cheek, Jester frowned, closing the cupboard door. No, that couldn’t be right. Unless… no.

 

But what if?

 

Ugh! This was the worst!

 

Jester pivoted on her heel, crossing her arms tight across her chest and starting to pace. It was an invasion of privacy. But Beau could be in danger. Maybe. Potentially. But like Fjord said, she was an adult. But Jester was her friend, which meant she had a responsibility to help her friends. But maybe Beau didn’t want her help and maybe she didn’t trust Jester enough to ask for her help or she was just too cool to want help and-

 

Before she could start tearing her hair out, Jester let herself fall onto their bed face-first, muffling her groans into the sheets.

 

This was the worst. She just wanted to be sure that Beau was okay.

 

It wasn’t that bad, right? She just wanted to help.

 

For a minute or two, she laid there on the bed, letting her thoughts run in circles and ultimately finding no real conclusion.

 

Most likely there’d be nothing but clothes and sleeping bags and whatever in there and then Jester would know that Beau wasn’t hiding anything and there was nothing to worry about. Yeah. It would be fine. Beau wasn’t supposed to come back from her thing until after Fjord left anyway, she could just take a quick look, assuage her worries, and go about the rest of her day.

 

With that hopeful thought in mind, she got up, going back to Beau’s backpack. Kneeling down on the ground in front of it, she slowly undid a flap that covered the top of the backpack, half-expecting some kind of trap or lock or something. But there wasn’t, just a bunch of zippers.

 

Before she could chicken out she opened the backpack wide, looking into it. Just as she’d expected, there were lots of clothes rolled up and stuffed into the top, which she pushed aside to try and look deeper inside. There were some small books, thin and worn. A couple of half-empty bottles of alcohol, some ribbons, small boxes that were filled with beads and wire when she opened them, and a few knick-knacks.

 

She pushed all that aside, until she felt her hand skim across something smooth on the surface, but with a lump. Curious, she pulled it out, finding herself holding an envelope.

 

Both sides of it were completely blank, no name, no return address, absolutely nothing. The envelope itself smelled slightly strange, like a salty-sweet perfume that Jester could have sworn she recognised… but she had no idea from where.

 

Frowning, Jester opened the envelope, only for her mouth to drop open wide. Her heart dropped into her stomach, her very breath catching in her throat.

 

That was money inside. Gold notes. A lot of them. At least a few hundred worths.

 

Where had Beau gotten this?

 

 _How_ had she gotten this? Jester had seen her income written down in the Money Book, it wasn’t this much. It wasn’t even _close_ to this much.

 

Perhaps the most important question… why was she hiding it?

 

They were better off than they had been when they’d first arrived in Zadash, but they were _far_ from comfortable. Between rent, groceries, and all the blankets or pillows or chairs or bare essentials they’d had to buy, hardly any of them had anything to spare. What they _did_ have to spare was meticulously counted and put away into one of the accounts that Fjord had arranged with the bank so all three of them would have access to what remained of their individual incomes to do with as they wished. Jester used hers for painting supplies, she knew Fjord was saving up for a car, and Beau had seemed to be saving it up as well. But even if she saved up every coin she’d gotten so far, she wouldn’t have this much.

 

Jester had gained a very new appreciation for the value of money over the past few months and this… this was a lot. There was so much they could do with this that they needed, so why was Beau hiding it?

 

There was an explanation. There had to be an explanation.

 

Before she knew it she was to her feet, running out of the bedroom and to the dining table. “Fjord!”

 

Fjord jumped halfway out of his seat, nearly losing a grip on his pencil. “Jeez, Jester, are you alright?”

 

Jester just threw the envelope on the table, her throat dry. “I looked through Beau’s bag!”

 

“You- Jester, you can’t just do that! That’s disrespectful.” Fjord shot her a disappointed look before picking up the envelope, probably to give it back to her to go put where she’d found it. But he noticed the lump and after a moment, he looked into it. “…What is this?”

 

Wringing her hands together, Jester began pacing around the table. “I thought you’d know! I found it, and I don’t know where it came from and it doesn’t make sense and I was just worried!”

 

“This… this is a lot. A lot of money.” Fjord’s voice was slow and measured, and he put the envelope down in the middle of the table, where both of them could clearly see it. “She had this in her bag?”

 

Jester nodded, tugging on her bangs. “But there’s a reason for it, right? Maybe she found it somewhere and she just forgot to tell us?” Nerves were bleeding into her voice and she couldn’t even begin to try to stop it. “Why wouldn’t she tell us about it?”

 

“I don’t know.” Fjord was flipping through the Money Book now, scanning down all of Beau’s columns, where she’d record her payslips and any big things she bought. “If she’s hiding this…”

 

What else could she be hiding?

 

“Does she not trust us?” She paused in her pacing to look at Fjord, feeling her eyes begin to water. He looked back for a moment before tearing his gaze away, focusing again on the envelope.

 

“I don’t know, Jester.” His knuckles were pale where he was holding his pencil, his eyebrows knitted together. 

 

Without warning, the door to the apartment opened. Both Fjord and Jester froze like deer in headlights, a hundred curses running through her head when Beau walked in. She looked up quickly and saw Jester and Fjord standing there. Her head and clothes were dusted with snowflakes, and she shook herself down as she walked in, unzipping her jacket.

 

“Hey. My thing ended early so I…” Her voice trailed off and she did a double-take after closing the door, seeming to realise how tense they both were. “Is something wrong?”

 

“Beau! Nothing! Nothing’s wrong!” Jester’s voice squeaked, and she couldn’t stop herself from looking at the envelope. Almost in slow-motion, she saw Beau’s gaze follow her own, eyes narrowing before flashing with recognition.

 

“Where did you get that?” Her voice was quiet and clipped.

 

Fjord looked at Jester, who looked at Beau, who was still staring at the envelope.

 

“You went through my bag?” Beau walked up to them and snatched the envelope into her hands before taking a frantic step back as if worried Jester or Fjord would take it from her. Now she looked at both of them in turn, betrayal in her eyes.

 

Fjord's face was steeled when Beau looked at him, minutely shaking his head. When her eyes fell on Jester she grimaced, her hands bunching the fabric of her skirt, and she couldn't force herself to keep eye contact, which may as well have been an admission of guilt. 

 

Beau’s face fell in an instant, and Jester felt like she’d been slapped.

 

“I’m sorry- I was worried!”

 

“What the fuck? You can’t go through my things- what else did you find in there?”

 

Fjord stood up at that, and Beau took another step back, towards the hallway. “What else? Is there more?”

 

“No!” Beau snapped back. “It’s none of your business!”

 

“Beau, that’s at least three hundred gold.” Fjord’s voice was firm, but there was a slightly panicked expression on his face. “Where did you get it?”

 

Ignoring the question, Beau spun on her heel and stalked down the hallway, Fjord only a few steps behind. Jester’s hands were shaking but she followed them both, coming to the bedroom door to see Beau stuffing everything Jester had pulled out back into her backpack, including the envelope.

 

“Why didn’t you tell us about it?” Jester pleaded, holding onto the doorframe.

 

“I wasn’t aware I had to tell you two about every single little thing I do in my entire life!” Beau stood up, one foot in front of her backpack and her hands balled into fists.

 

“Having an envelope full of cash isn’t exactly _little_ , Beau, not for us.” Fjord’s frown grew deeper and sharper with every biting remark. “You know exactly how much we need money, and you’re hiding some in your backpack?”

 

“They’re savings. It’s called being smart!”

 

“You _have_ a savings account. In the bank!” Fjord inhaled sharply, pinching the bridge of his nose.

 

“Well, maybe I withdrew it all.”

 

“You get them when you go out to your secret things, don’t you? Like where you were today?” Jester’s voice wavered, and her heart was pounding with every sentence. “Do you have more right now?”

 

Beau stared at her, and when she looked at her Jester saw not only anger (there was a lot of it) but hurt. After a moment, she ran one of her hands through her hair, breaking the eye contact.

 

“Beau, have you been doing something illegal, or dangerous, or something _?_ ” Fjord said.

 

“Or _something_.” Beau bit back, opening her mouth to say something, closing it and then opening it again. “It’s not like I ever lied about what I was doing. Neither of you just ever believed me.”

 

There was a heavy silence, and Jester looked at Fjord. He seemed halfway between pissed off and completely bewildered like he was just trying to figure out what was going on.

 

“You mean, you’ve actually been in some kind of gang this whole time?” He said.

 

“Yes!” Beau scowled, folding her arms.

 

“Why? What if you get into trouble?”

 

“I’m not an amateur. It helps me blow off some steam. Hanging out in a library all day every day isn't exactly my ideal life.”

 

“And what if something happens? If you get caught? We cannot afford to bail you out of some jail cell.” Fjord said, his arms folded as well now.

 

“Oh, you can’t act like some goody-two-shoes, _Fjord_. All of us could get thrown in prison a few dozen times over.”

 

“But _I_ don’t go out actively committing crimes multiple times a week!” Fjord said, scowling.

 

Jester didn’t know what to do. A part of her felt like they were going nowhere with all of this. “I don’t understand.”

 

Both Fjord and Beau were looking at her now, and somewhere in her mind, an array of pieces began to fit together.

 

“You come home hurt all the time but you didn’t tell me why, you _knew_ we didn’t realise you’re actually in a gang and you didn’t correct us, you were hiding money, you haven’t unpacked your backpack…” It was like Beau had one foot in the apartment, in their lives, and then the other out, always ready to run. “Are you going to leave? Are we not friends?”

 

Beau’s gaze dropped to her feet, her nails visibly digging into her arms. “That’s not it.”

 

Fjord audibly exhaled through his teeth, rubbing his temples and taking a step back. Jester, meanwhile, took a step forward, one hand tentatively lifting towards Beau before she brought it back to her side. “Then what _is_ it?”

 

“It’s just-” Beau was frowning. “I’m sorry, okay? I’m not used to-” she grimaced, dropping her hands to her side. “It’s my backup plan, okay?”

 

The last words came out as more of a shout, and once they were gone, Beau’s face crumpled, and she sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing her temples.

 

“Backup plan?” Jester’s heart skipped a beat, trying to imagine what Beau could possibly need a backup plan for, that involved not telling them. “Backup plan for what?”

 

“For when… if…” Her mouth pinched together, and now she was just flat out refusing to look at either of them.

 

“If you ended up by yourself again? If we kicked you out or something?” Fjord looked hurt, no, not just hurt, offended.

 

Beau didn’t deny it, and Jester gasped. The very thought of it was a barb in her heart. “Why would you think we’d do that?” Her eyes were watering again.

 

Another silence, and when Beau finally broke it, her voice was quiet. “That’s how it always goes. Either I’m kicked to the curb, or _I_ leave before they get the chance.”

 

What?

 

That idea just didn’t compute. How could _anyone_ kick Beau out of anywhere?

 

Without waiting for either of them to respond, Beau stood up and brushed past them, her hands stuck in the pockets of her jumper. She visibly swallowed but didn’t look at them as she walked down the hallway. “I’m… gonna take a walk.”

 

The thought of letting Beau leave brought a rise of panic to the surface, and Jester tried to go forward, one hand outstretched to grab her wrist. “No, Beau, wait-”

 

A heavier hand fell on her shoulder, stopping her in place. “Maybe it’s a good idea.” Fjord said from behind, sounding exhausted. “We can all cool down, and then… we’ll figure it out.”

 

Well, that just didn’t make _any_ sense. “No, Fjord, we can figure it out right now-”

 

“I’m sorry, Jes, Fjord.” Beau didn’t look back, her shoulders hunched as she walked out the door, closing it behind her.

 

Jester held her breath, waiting for the door to open again and for Beau to come back in. They could talk about it and figure things out and then everything would be okay. But she didn’t.

 

Biting her lip, Jester brought her outstretched hands back to hug them around herself. “What do we do now?”

 

“Cool down. All of us. When Beau comes back, we’ll talk things out.”

 

“We won’t kick her out, right? We can’t do that, she’s our friend.” She turned around to face Fjord, blinking her eyes quickly.

 

“I don’t want to kick her out.” Fjord breathed heavily. “But I’m gonna be honest, I’m pissed.”

 

Jester nodded distantly, looking down at the ground. It hurt. All of it just hurt. But what hurt most of all was that Beau had been afraid Jester would want to kick her out. That she would ever do that to one of her best friends.

 

She sniffed, surreptitiously rubbing her eyes. “I… I think I’m gonna go find Nott. And calm down. You call me if Beau comes back, okay?

 

“Sure.” Fjord appeared almost deflated like the life had been sucked out of him.

 

Jester just felt confused and guilty and upset. What if Beau didn’t come back?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fjord: dont worry just be chill if something happens we'll deal with it  
> Jester, with her not-quite-developed sense of boundaries and unlimited worry for her friends: how about no 
> 
> She stole Nott's flask in an attempt to help in canon soooooo 
> 
> AnYwAy hahahahhaha how we doin gang


	27. Beau 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Jester tries to get her mind off of her worries about Beau and her mysterious hobbies, only to end up looking inside her backpack and finding an envelope of money. Panicking, she shows Fjord, and both of them try to figure out where the money came from and why Beau had it, only for Beau herself to arrive home earlier than expected. An argument ensued, abruptly ended by Beau storming out of the apartment, leaving Jester and Fjord behind.

She’d really gone and fucked it up this time, hadn’t she? Typical. Absolutely typical.

 

Beau scuffed her shoes on the icy ground, not paying attention to which streets she walked down. Snow still fell, even harder than it had when she’d walked home only a short while ago, mixing with the dirt of the city to create a very drab and emotionally appropriate slush. Her jacket was zipped up as high as it could go, her chin buried in it and hands stuffed into the pockets.

 

One of them clutched to the envelope of money she’d gotten from the Gentleman that day. Fifty gold notes in all. Her phone was in her other pocket, all of her other possessions left behind in the apartment. Beau scowled, cursing that mistake.

 

But whatever. She could start over with fifty notes and a phone. She’d had less money than that the first time she ran. They’d passed the halfway point of winter, she’d be able to find places to keep warm until spring and then she’d be free and clear.

 

She could leave.

 

Usually, the thought of that was a comforting one. The knowledge that there was always the choice to just cut it and run, leave town and be back on her own, responsible for no one, no one responsible for her.

 

Now the idea of leaving left a bitter taste in her mouth.

 

What was _wrong_ with her?

 

She shivered involuntarily, halfway regretting the decision to go back outside in the snow, and regretting even more not picking up her scarf on the way out. The snow hadn’t been this bad earlier in the day, but now it was just freezing.

 

But she couldn’t just go back. Not so soon after she’d left, not while Jester and Fjord were probably still furious and upset. There probably wasn’t a good time to go back at all.

 

A part of her brain was already thinking of a plan. She could find a shopping centre to hang around in until dark, that would be warm at least, and there’d probably be a food court. A city this big had homeless shelters so she'd be able to find one of those and hopefully stay the night… Then in the morning she could find the closest bus out of the city and never look back.

 

Same story, different day.

 

Beau took her hands out of her pockets, hugging her arms around her chest. Her stomach was doing backflips, her mind swimming with too many emotions for her to count, much less sort through. She was mad, she was upset, she was… afraid. And regretful.

 

She had to squint to see clearly, pulling up the hood of her jacket to offer some meagre protection from the snow. Her fingers were numb but her heart was pounding in her ears, overwhelming any other sounds around her, the confrontation in the apartment replaying over and over in her mind.

 

Her eyes were kept firmly on her feet in front of her, her stance so stiff than any other idiot out in this snow gave her a wide berth.

 

“Beau?”

 

The voice didn’t even register in her mind, not even when it repeated her name a little louder. Only when a jacket and mitten-clad arm stuck itself out in her path did she freeze, looking up and to the side to see Caduceus of all people, a beanie on his head and a concerned look on his face.

 

“Beau, what are you doing out in the snow?”

 

She swallowed, automatically averting her gaze and instead looking behind Caduceus, realising they were standing in front of some kind of plant shop or something, based on the foliage inside.

 

“What are you doing here?” She finally asked instead, hoping he couldn’t hear the chattering of her teeth. When had her teeth started chattering?

 

“This is a café. I work here. I was bringing in the outside tables and chairs from the snow.” He said simply, and Beau realised she hardly knew anything about Caduceus’ life. A part of her had imagined he just hung around in his apartment all day making tea and watering plants.

 

“Oh.”

 

“You look very cold. Would you like something to drink?” Caduceus put down the arm that he’d stuck in front of her, instead gesturing towards the door to the café.

 

“No, I’m fine.” She stuck her hands in her pockets again, holding her head high and daring Caduceus to call her out on it. Maybe hoping he would.

 

“I insist, Beau. The snow could pick up, I’d rather you get stuck inside than somewhere out here.” Caduceus said, gently nudging her towards the door. After sighing dramatically, she followed.

 

It was very warm inside the café, and Beau couldn’t stop herself from shivering at the sudden change in temperature but it did feel better, though she pointedly avoided looking at Caduceus so he couldn’t say he told her so.

 

The café was quite small and homely, with wooden tables and chairs adorned with cushions. Each table had small succulents or plants on them, and other plants lined the walls or hung from the ceiling in baskets. There were no other customers when Beau walked in, and only one human woman behind the counter who nodded politely when they walked in before going to a back room.

 

“Tea? Coffee?” Caduceus asked, walking behind the counter himself.

 

“Do I have to pay?” Beau hated how quiet her voice was, telling herself it was just because of the cold.

 

“If you don’t tell anyone else, I’ll let this one slide.” Caduceus winked, and on an ordinary day Beau probably would’ve smirked at it.

 

“Just… a coffee, I guess. Whatever kind.” After a moment, she hastily added, “But nothing too complicated.”

 

Caduceus chuckled lightly, and it almost sounded genuine. Yeah, just until he found out what had happened and then he probably wouldn’t be as jovial with her. Maybe Jester or Fjord had already told everyone else about it, and Caduceus would find out as soon as he picked up his phone.

 

After a few minutes, Caduceus sat down opposite her, laying a mug of coffee in front of her and blowing on a cup of tea for himself.

 

“Thanks,” Beau said, pulling the mug a little closer to herself and hugging her hands around it, letting the warmth sink into her cold fingers.

 

“So what were you doing out there?” Caduceus asked after a long moment.

 

Beau stared into the thin layer of foam on top of her coffee, watching the tiny bubbles slowly pop. “I was going for a walk. Didn’t expect the snow to get that bad so quickly.”

 

“Yes, weather can be unpredictable, like many things.” Caduceus sighed, and Beau could not tell if he was really taking her at face value, or if he just didn’t want to draw attention to it. Of everyone she’d met, he was one of the most confusing to try and read. “Just something else to make life interesting.”

 

She didn’t say anything in response to that, eventually taking a sip of the coffee and ignoring the burning on her tongue. A cappuccino, she was pretty sure.

 

“Do your roommates know where you are? I imagine they might get worried if they think you’re out by yourself in this weather.” Caduceus said placidly, only to pause when Beau scoffed.

 

“No, I don’t think so.” She scowled, putting her mug down again with tense hands.

 

“Why not?”

 

Beau was sorely tempted to just completely deflect and refuse to give any details, but perhaps it was the cold, perhaps it was the cardio she’d gotten earlier in the day, perhaps all of it had just left her physically and emotionally exhausted, but she found herself talking anyway.

 

“Because I fucked up and now they’re both mad at me so I left.” She said, wishing her voice didn’t sound so hollow.

 

Caduceus blinked but didn’t immediately burst into questions like she thought he would. Instead, he took a long drink of his tea, swallowing very deliberately before clearing his throat.

 

“Oh. Left… for good?”

 

“Yes.” She hesitated. “Maybe. I don’t know.”

 

“Did they force you to leave?” There wasn’t a hint of vitriol or accusation in his voice, and Beau leaned back into her seat, finally picking up her mug again.

 

“No, I left myself. I mean, if I stayed any longer they probably would’ve asked me to leave so I just… did it for them.”

 

Caduceus’ eyebrows furrowed together ever so slightly, which Beau didn’t notice on account of her staring very, very hard at a scratch in the table in order to _avoid_ looking at Caduceus at all.

 

“May I ask why Jester and Fjord were mad at you?” He finally asked, and Beau couldn’t help glancing up. That was new. Usually someone would just launch right into the questions. Oddly enough, being asked if she was okay with it actually made her feel a little better about dealing with them.

 

“I hid money from them. And also I’m in a crime gang, which I did actually tell them about but they didn’t believe me and I never really… clarified that I wasn’t joking.” She sighed. “I think sometimes my sarcasm and my actual voice are pretty similar.”

 

Caduceus had stiffened up a little at the mention of ‘crime gang’ and only relaxed again after a moment. “I think I’m going to need more tea for this.”

 

After collecting an entire kettle and resting it on the table, Caduceus exhaled slowly, looking Beau in the eye. “You’re in a crime gang?”

 

Beau shrugged. “Yeah. To get extra money, just in case we needed it. Or… _I_ needed it.”

 

“The money you hid?”

 

She nodded, cringing a little at the memory. “I figured that… if they _did_ kick me out, at least I’d have that as a backup.”

 

“What made you think they might kick you out?”

 

Beau paused, apprehension sneaking into her mind as this conversation seemed to only delve closer to parts of her that she didn’t like talking about. Or thinking about.

 

“I… don’t know if Jester or anyone has told you, but I was kinda homeless before I met up with Jester and Fjord. For a long time. I’ve fallen in with lots of people during that time, and none of them kept me around for very long. It’s not hard to figure out the pattern.” She pulled her legs up onto the chair, which was a bit of a tight squeeze but she managed. It put just a little bit more distance between her and Caduceus, closing off without turning away or leaving the café.

 

“What pattern is that?”

 

Beau narrowed her eyes at Caduceus but saw nothing but genuine concern and interest. She tore her gaze away, tugging the hood of her jumper up as if it would let her hide away from this entire conversation.

 

“I show up, meet some people, things are cool for a while, I fuck up, and then I’m gone. Kicked out. Evicted. Whatever you wanna call it. That pattern.” She didn’t bother holding back the resignation. “It’s always just a matter of time.”

 

Her voice may have wavered during that last sentence. Caduceus didn’t call her out on it.

 

Instead, he leaned back a little, humming to himself and seeming to process the entire thing. “So… Jester and Fjord find out about the money and the crime gang, and they became upset with you-”

 

“Well, Jester went through my backpack, so I was mad at her too.” She cringed, remembering how upset Jester had looked. “I shouted at her. She was worried about me and I just yelled at her. Some fucking friend I am, right? ”

 

“So all of you were upset at each other, and then you left. And you’re not going to go back?”

 

Beau tightened her jaw, sitting in stoic silence for a moment. “How can I?”

 

“I don’t mean to sound condescending, but I think you may be… jumping the gun, as it were.”

 

Frowning, Beau straightened up, looking Caduceus in the eye. “What are you talking about?”

 

“What exactly were Jester and Fjord upset about? If you don’t mind me knowing.” There was a thoughtful look on Caduceus’ face, and he leaned in.

 

“Fjord was mad that I hid everything… and he was worried I’d get in trouble.” Beau’s voice faltered, and she bit the inside of her cheek before continuing. “Jester was worried I’d get more hurt than I’m already getting. She thought that maybe I wasn’t actually her friend.”

 

Caduceus didn’t say anything to that for a while, letting Beau’s words hang in the air, sinking in. The guilt she already felt was only compounding by the second, making her feel sick to her stomach.

 

They’d both just been worried for her. Angry as well, yeah, definitely, but mostly just concerned. They’d both been so great to her, and she’d thrown that in their faces. Fjord had let her come along with them, he’d helped them organise so many things to get them the apartment and their bank accounts and he’d even tried to teach her to be more personable which no one had ever bothered to do in her life. And Jester…

 

“Neither of them ever threatened to kick you out? At any point since you met them?” Caduceus finally asked, and Beau shook her head, casting her gaze downwards. “So why did you plan for the eventuality that they would?”

 

“Because that’s what always happens. If I leave first, it… hurts less.” She didn’t even sound like she believed it. 

 

“Beau, having one foot out the door is no way to maintain a relationship.” Even now, Caduceus sounded kind. “I don’t know your past, but I do know that.”

 

Beau looked at him for a moment before burying her face in her hands. “Gods, I’m the _worst_.”

 

“I doubt that.”

 

“What am I supposed to do now? I can’t just go back-”

 

“Why not?” Caduceus tilted his head and she squinted at him through a gap in her fingers.

 

She couldn’t really come up with a good response. “What would I even say? What if I only made things worse by leaving, and now they really actually want me gone?”

 

She'd taken a torch to the metaphorical bridge at the first sign of a spark, and maybe it was too late to throw water on it. Maybe her trying to do anything would be the equivalent of coming back with a flamethrower. 

 

Caduceus shrugged. “The only way to find out would be to talk to them. But for what it’s worth, I don’t think they’d do that. I know Jester at least cares very deeply for you.”

 

Beau stiffened, slowly pulling her hands down. “What do you mean?”

 

“Sometimes Jester visits me during the day. She always talks about a lot of things, but often she winds up talking about you and Fjord. She thinks very highly of you.” Caduceus smiled softly, entirely unaware of how Beau’s heart felt like it had stopped beating for a second.

 

Jester… the more she thought everything over now, the more guilty Beau felt. Up until she’d dug through her backpack, Jester had pretty much never done anything wrong to her at all. She’d tease and prod and sometimes ask a question that Beau didn’t want to answer, but at the same time she was so kind. She hadn’t hesitated to invite Beau to come with them when she’d found out she didn’t have somewhere to stay, she never complained about Beau’s snoring. She’d healed up Beau’s injuries every single time she was awake to do it, even though she’d always threaten not to.

 

She was beautiful and sweet and funny and so, so earnest and excited about so many things and she considered Beau to be one of her very best friends and it had never felt like she was lying. Beau had never had that before.

 

For Jester, she’d probably do just about anything. Perhaps that had made it hurt all the more. If it had been anyone else, perhaps she’d have been able to leave already. She wouldn’t have left her backpack behind, she would’ve just picked it up and been halfway out of Zadash by now.

 

But it was Fjord and Jester. The first two people to really seem like they enjoyed her company just as she was. It was Jester, who shared her bed and told her all about her homeland and whose eyes sparkled when she was excited and whose smile made her heart skip a beat.

 

She didn’t want to leave them.

 

She didn’t want to leave _her_.

 

She…

 

“Oh no.”

 

Caduceus’ ears pricked up, and on any other day Beau might’ve found that interesting to watch but right now she was staring at the table, a horrible, terrifying, beautiful realisation slowly dawning. “Beau? Are you alright?”

 

She wanted to stay. She wanted a share an apartment with Fjord and Jester, she wanted to be their friend and enjoy dinners with them and break into libraries and experiment with whether or not Fjord’s powers were able to generate enough electricity to charge their phones. She wanted to fall into bed with Jester snuggling into her side and listen to her laugh and smile, and maybe be the reason she was laughing and smiling. She didn’t want to lose her.

 

Oh no.

 

She... no. She couldn't. 

 

Shit.

 

She loved Jester. She couldn't lose this. 

 

“I have to fix this.” She blurted out, suddenly remembering Caduceus was sitting in front of her, nausea churning in her stomach. “What do I do?”

 

She could feel the nerves rising in her throat, standing up and pushing the chair back. “I can't leave. I want to fix this.”

 

Caduceus stood up as well, holding his hands up but stopping short of resting one of them on her shoulder. “Calm down. You said they were mostly worried for you, right? I’m sure they want this fixed too.”

 

“What am I supposed to do?” Her mind was racing, and she pivoted around to the now-closed door to the café, where the unexpected snowstorm was still raging. “I have to get back home.”

 

Home. Tears pricked at the corner of her eyes but didn’t fall, and she started towards the door. “I’ve got to go.”

 

“Woah, there,” Caduceus caught her by the shoulder, gently pulling her back and spinning her around to face him. “I’m pretty sure the last thing any of you need is for you to get frostbite from going out there again.”

 

Frustrated at the logic in that reasoning, Beau fidgeted until Caduceus let her go again, satisfied she wasn’t going to race out into the snow. “You can start small. Maybe let them know you’re okay.”

 

Nodding mutely, Beau fished out her phone, realising that there were at least half a dozen notifications, mostly from Jester but a few from Fjord and even some of the others on the floor. Breathing in sharply, she unlocked the phone and went to her messages, opening the ones from some of the others first.

 

**Nott: HI BAU THIS IS KINDA AWKWRD BUT JESTRR TOLD ME U GUYS HAD SOME KIND OF FIGHT SO LIKE >>> SHE SEEEMS RELLY UPSET SO IF U DID SOMRTHNG IM JUST LETTN U KNOW I WILL STAB U IF I HAVE TO**

 

Beau snorted at that, ignoring Caduceus’ raised eyebrow. That was fair enough, she supposed, moving on to the next person.

 

**Fjord: Hi Beau. I’m not sure where you went but the snow got worse after you left so I hope you got somewhere warm. I have to go to work soon and if you’re not back soon I won’t see you til tomorrow so I’m sure we can work this all out. We won’t kick you out by the way and I put your envelope back on top of your bag and I haven’t touched anything in it. Just stay safe out there okay**

 

Swallowing hard, Beau finally looked at the messages from Jester, trying to steel herself.

 

**Jester: beau im so sorry i went through ur bag i really am i wont do it again**

**Jester: i went to the shopping centre to find nott and it got sooooo snowy on the way and im okay but you arent as good with the cold so i hope ur okay please be okay**

**Jester: im so sorry im coming home soon so if you come home we can talk about it okay??/**

**Jester: i dont want you to go youre my best friend youre so cool i dont want you to leave so please dont leave**

**Jester: please tell me youre okay and youre not like a frozen statue already**

**Jester: that would suck really bad**

**Jester: like so bad**

**Jester: please come home**

**Jester: <3 **

 

Beau turned away from Caduceus so he wouldn’t be able to see her wipe her eyes with the back of her hand. Not that it probably fooled him.

 

“I don’t deserve them.” She murmured, her fingers hovering over the buttons to type a reply. She didn’t deserve either of them. She especially didn't deserve Jester. 

 

Jester. She had feelings for Jester. It felt like a betrayal — of their friendship, of her own mind — to have them at all (Jester liked _boys_ , she knew that why was her brain so stupid sometimes?), and she already knew that it would be nothing but a recipe for disaster if she wasn't careful. But right now, that didn't matter. What mattered was that Fjord and Jester were two of the only good things in her life and she'd come dangerously close to destroying it just like every other good thing she'd ever had. Maybe it wasn't too late. 

 

“Things are rarely a matter of what you deserve.” Caduceus mused. “Just what is, and what you do about it.” He let that hang in the hair for a few moments before walking back to the table, picking up the teapot and empty cups. “My shift ends soon and my coworker usually drops me off on her way home. I’m sure she’ll be alright with letting you come along if the snow dies down enough to drive.”

 

“Yeah. Yeah, I think that’ll be great. Thanks.” Beau said, finally clicking on the group chat that was just her, Jester and Fjord. After a few moments of thinking, she typed up a message.

 

**Beau: Im okay im holed up in a cafe its very warm. I think ill be home soon if the snow stops falling so hard. Im sorry.**

 

Beau let out a shuddering breath as she pressed the send button. A proper explanation, a proper apology would have to wait until she saw them again in person. She couldn't lose them. If they were willing to offer her a second chance, she wasn't going to waste it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey gang!!!! So hopefully everyone is having a good time (: 
> 
> Anyway fun facts, this is the last chapter that will be uploaded before I go on holidays!!!! I'm travelling around with my family for about a month, so it'll be a great vacation for me after the chaos of NaNoWriMo (which i won, btw, just to brag) 
> 
> But not to fear, because all the chapters that are scheduled to be released while I'm gone are already completed and edited and sitting in the drafts ready to be posted from my phone on the appropriate days! I might not be able to respond to comments, but I'll do my best lol. Anyway have fun with this one, and the future chapters ^_^


	28. Jester 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau found herself alone in a sudden snowstorm after leaving the apartment to escape Jester and Fjord confronting her over her illegal activities, already making plans to leave the city entirely and start anew. She encounters Caduceus and is quickly bustled into the café where he works to get out of the cold, eventually telling him what had happened. With Caduceus' prodding, she begins to think that she may have jumped the gun, as well as realising that she doesn't want to leave her newfound friends. Especially Jester.

“I can still shank her if you want,” Nott grumbled, putting down a card on top of the stack.

 

Jester snickered a little, wiping her eyes again just to make sure they were dry before putting a card down herself. “No, don’t do that.”

 

They were sitting on some pillows on the ground of Nott and Caleb’s apartment. Caleb himself was in his room, having heard approximately three words of Jester’s quick rundown of what was going on before excusing himself. He did, however, leave Frumpkin in the room, the cat now curled up against Jester’s side and purring intermittently.

 

It was well into the evening now, the snow lighter than it had been an hour or two ago, thankfully. Jester and Nott had run most of the way home, ducking from shelter to shelter, arriving a little while before Fjord had had to leave for work. Apparently Tarla wouldn’t close up for anything short of a natural disaster.

 

So after he’d left, Jester had gone to Nott and Caleb’s room. She didn’t really want to be alone right now.

 

Every few minutes she’d check her phone, even though she had her notifications activated and set to buzz as loudly as it could just to be sure she wouldn’t miss anything. But Beau hadn’t sent any messages besides the one saying that she was okay, promising to come back home once the snow died down.

 

The snow had died down a little while ago, but Beau hadn’t come back yet.

 

Jester couldn’t remember the last time she’d felt so nervous. She didn’t even know what she was going to say. She wasn’t even sure how she was feeling about everything anymore.

 

Nott suddenly slapped her hand down on the pile of cards, whooping triumphantly. “Snap! Ha!”

 

Jester started, scowling once she realised she’d gotten distracted. “Aw maannnn, not again.”

 

Nott collected her newly won cards, probably paying close attention even as Jester looked over her shoulder to the door, which they’d left open to make sure they’d hear if someone reached their floor. “We could play a different game.”

 

“No, this one's okay.” Jester forced herself to pay attention, nodding firmly and holding her pitiful stack of cards. Next to her, Frumpkin nuzzled his head into her thigh. “You start.”

 

Nott didn’t seem convinced but shrugged and kept going. It didn’t take very long for Jester to be properly defeated, Nott’s fingers just too quick for her to try and keep up with. They played a few more rounds of snap, then go-fish, and finally a version of blackjack, before both of them perked up at the sound of footsteps.

 

They waited silently, listening as the steps grew louder and closer. When they finally stepped up onto the floor proper, Jester scrambled to her feet, gulping back her nerves and walking towards the door. Nott seemed torn before following or staying behind, before finally picking up Frumpkin and disappearing further into her apartment.

 

Jester found herself out in the hallway before she even realised it.

 

Beau froze where she’d been walking, a few steps from the top of the stairs, her arms stiff by her side. Caduceus was beside her, for some reason, but simply gave Jester a little wave and a soft smile before going into his own apartment, patting Beau lightly on the shoulder as he passed her. 

 

Quietly, Jester closed the door to Caleb and Nott’s apartment, running her hand nervously along her arm. Beau seemed to be waiting for her to make the first move, jaw set and indecipherable emotions in her eyes. After a moment, Jester gestured loosely to the door to their apartment.

 

Beau seemed to swallow before she began walking towards her, and Jester went inside, wringing her hands together and coming to a stop in the middle of the living room. Beau closed the door behind her and exhaled, stepping up a few feet away from Jester and clearing her throat. “Jester, I-”

 

Before she could get any further, Jester couldn’t stop herself from throwing her arms around Beau, hugging her close and burying her face into her shoulder. Beau tensed up, her hands staying by her side for a moment before slowly winding around her waist, relaxing into the hug. Whatever she was going to say was choked back, and Jester just squeezed even tighter.

 

“I’m sorry, Beau, I really am-” She said.

 

Beau stiffened up again, nudging Jester away a little so that she could look at her. “What? No, no, I need to apologise to you, and to Fjord.”

 

“But if I hadn’t gone through your things none of this would have happened!” Jester still had her hands resting vaguely around Beau’s shoulders, holding on to her massive jacket.

 

Beau shifted uncomfortably on her feet, looking away for a moment. “If I weren’t hiding things you wouldn’t have wanted to look through my things.”

 

“But I could have asked instead or-” Jester let her arms drop away from Beau and hugged them around her chest, head bowed.

 

“Jester, please. Let me apologise.” Beau fidgeting for a moment before going to sit on Fjord’s couch, breathing in slowly.

 

Jester followed silently, leaving a small amount of space between them that she was all too aware of and waiting for Beau to continue on.

 

“I haven’t stayed with one group of people for this long since I left school. I was paranoid and antsy and I thought you and Fjord would end up the same as everyone else and you two didn’t deserve that. I… I jumped the gun, and I didn’t trust you, and I’m sorry.” She exhaled shakily, head bowed with her hands holding tight to her knees. “That’s all on me.”

 

Jester nodded, not in agreement but just in acknowledgment not saying anything even though a part of her wanted to reassure Beau. Another part of her still smarted from all of it.

 

“I want to make it right, but I understand if you and Fjord are still upset at me. I’d be upset at me. So I’ll do whatever, we can use the money to buy Fjord one of those couches that turn into a bed, or I’ll do dinner for a month or-”

 

Jester couldn’t help but laugh, a short and quiet laugh that made Beau stop in her tracks. She was sniffling, she realised, her nose and the edges of her eyes a little red.

 

“You don’t have to do any of that. Not for me.” She said, shuffling a little closer and tentatively putting one of her hands over Beau’s. They were cold, she realised, colder than they usually were, even after spending however long inside a café. 

 

Beau was looking down at her hand, an undecipherable expression on her face. Eventually, she looked up. “So… what do you want?”

 

“I want you to trust me. I don’t care what you’re doing, how many laws you’re breaking. I just want to know about it.” She squeezed Beau’s hand. “I don’t want you to leave me out of things.”

 

Silently, Beau nodded, closing her eyes and breathing carefully. “I can do that. I promise.”

 

The corner of Jester’s mouth quirked, and she pulled Beau into another hug, not quite as tight as the first. Beau practically melted into it, drawing in a shuddering breath that Jester decided not to draw attention to. Now that she was paying attention to it, she could tell Beau was shivering, almost imperceptibly, trying to hide it, but shivering nonetheless.

 

For a while, Jester set that aside for later, just hugging one of her best friends as close as she could. Finally, Beau pulled herself away, rubbing at her eyes, and Jester stood up, taking Beau by the hands to pull her up as well.

 

“Now come on, you’re cold,” Jester said, pulling Beau down the hallway towards the bathroom.

 

“What? No, I’m fine.” There was some of that familiar bluster in Beau’s voice, and Jester couldn’t help but smile teasingly.

 

“Nooo, I could feel you shaking.” She let her smile drop into something a little more serious. “How long were you out in the snow?”

 

Beau immediately looked guilty again, dropping her gaze. “I’m not sure. I wasn’t really paying attention. I stayed in Caduceus’ café for a while…”

 

“Well, you seem freezing to me,” Jester said, squeezing Beau’s hands. “I don’t want you to get sick.”

 

Beau opened her mouth as if to retort before seeming to shiver a little, finally nodding. “Alright.”

 

Once Beau had had a shower and was successfully convinced/forced to wear Jester’s dressing gown as well for extra warmth, Jester got ready for bed herself, coming back out to find Beau sitting at the dining table picking at a bowl of freshly made ramen.

 

Jester sat down next to her, pulling her chair closer until she could rest her head on Beau’s currently very fluffy shoulder. “I’m glad you came back, Beau.”

 

There was a short silence, even Beau’s fork going still. “Me too.”

 

“I think Fjord will forgive you too, you know?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Yeah. He’s a big softie.” Jester snickered.

 

“I’ll apologise to him, too. I’ll wait til he gets home.”

 

Jester took one look at Beau’s face, her eyes already slipping closed a little bit every now and then, and sincerely doubted that was going to happen. “If you want to. Until then…”

 

She hesitated, unsure if it was a good idea to broach the subject so quickly. But a part of her was curious.

 

“Maybe you could tell me about what you’ve been doing? The absolute truth this time.” Her voice was quiet and soft, and after a moment she added, “If you want to. You don’t have to, you know.”

 

There was a pause, and Jester felt Beau’s head tilt a little onto hers. “No, it’s okay.”

 

Jester patiently waited for Beau to start talking again, closing her eyes and breathing in the scent of Beau’s shampoo. It was the same as the one Jester used, but without the added aroma of the perfume Jester had brought from home, it seemed different. It was nice.

 

“The leader of the whole gang is this guy called the Gentleman. He’s a total prick, by the way, looks really greasy and wet all the time. I think he’s a genasi. He’s also theatrical as fuck, like if there’s a way to do something more dramatically than it needs to be done, he’ll probably do it.” Beau’s voice audibly perked up as she began to talk about some of the things that she’d spent so long deflecting about, spinning tales about the strange people and costumes she’d seen or some of the stupid things some of her fellow gang members had done.

 

After a while, the stories began to peter out, her words growing slower and softer until they stopped entirely, Beau melting into Jester's side as she finally succumbed to exhaustion. 

 

For a few minutes, Jester just sat there, listening to Beau’s steady breathing and trying to process the entire day. It had all been so much, so many emotions running high, she didn’t blame Beau for crashing out at the table.

 

But Jester wasn’t mad anymore. Not even upset, really. She had her friend back and now she wasn’t going to hide things like this from her anymore and it would be okay. As long as she had her friends, and they trusted her and told her the truth, she didn’t care about much else.

 

When her arm began to tingle, she finally began the process of getting up without disturbing Beau. Luckily for her, Beau hardly stirred, which was probably more a testament to how exhausted and possibly sick she was than any great success on Jester’s part.

 

It took further care to gather Beau up into her arms and carry her into the bedroom, letting her head loll onto her shoulder and being careful not to let her bump into anything as they walked. She didn’t even snore as Jester laid her out on the bed and threw all the blankets over her, making sure nothing but her face was uncovered. Asleep, she looked so peaceful.

 

Jester sat on the edge of the bed, running her hand through Beau’s hair for a while. She didn’t feel sleepy at all despite the fact that it was well and truly nighttime now, and normally by now, she’d at least be in bed.

 

She busied herself by making sure all the windows were curtains were closed in the apartment, blocking out any cold air that may have been seeping through. She cleaned up the kitchen, even picked up some things off the floor before finally coming back to her bedroom and pulling out her sketchbook.

 

“It’s been a long day, Traveller.” She whispered, looking at Beau from the corner of her eye where she sat on the ground just next to the bed. “But it all worked out, right?”

 

She didn’t hear the Traveller’s voice tonight like she sometimes did, but there was a tingling in her ears, and the sensation of two warm hands resting upon her own, and she smiled, sketching out a picture of her, Beau and Fjord all hugging, with Jester in the middle.

 

“I just hope Fjord isn’t too upset still.” She said, drifting into silence as she continued to draw. The warm hands didn’t leave for a while, and even when they did and she began to yawn she kept sketching, letting the hours pass by with the sound of Beau’s breathing as its backdrop.

 

Eventually, there was the sound of the apartment door opening and closing, and Jester snapped to attention. She hadn’t realised it was that late. Scrambling to her feet as quiet as she could, she cast a look at the still-sleeping Beau — who was now curled on her side, one hand underneath her cheek — before exiting the room, leaving her sketchbook and pencils on the ground.

 

Sure enough, a weary-eyed Fjord was stretching in the living room. He glanced at her before doing a double-take, one eyebrow rising.

 

“You’re still awake?” A thought seemed to cross his mind, and he frowned worriedly. “Is Beau not back-”

 

“No, she’s back,” Jester said quickly, walking over to him so that they wouldn’t be too close to the bedroom. “She’s asleep.”

 

Fjord nodded at that, his frown not quite letting up, but at least he didn’t look angry. Unless he was just too tired to be angry.

 

“She wanted to stay up for you, you know,” Jester said quickly, holding her hands behind her back. “So she could apologise.”

 

Fjord’s face smoothed out into something more neutral, though his eyebrows stayed pinched together, his jaw a little tight. “Apologise? Huh.”

 

“She already gave one to me. And I gave one to her. For looking through her stuff.” Jester winced at that, shifting from the heels to the balls of her feet and back again.

 

Nodding absent-mindedly, Fjord ran a hand through his hair before sighing. “She’s alright? Not…. frozen or hypothermic or whatever?”

 

“She might be a little sick because she was shivering a little bit, but I think she’s okay.”

 

Fjord nodded again. “Okay. You’re alright?”

 

When Jester nodded, he exhaled slowly. “Good, good. Okay. I think we should both go to bed. In the morning, we can talk all this out properly.”

 

“Are you still upset at Beau?” Jester asked, bringing her hands in front of her and wringing them together.

 

There was a silence, and Fjord took off his jumper, laying it out over one of the chairs. “I don’t know, Jester. A bit. I’ll hear her out, I can promise that. If we can work all this out and clear everything up, that’ll be ideal.”

 

Another silence passed, and Fjord gently rested an arm on Jester’s shoulder. “Come on, it’s too late to be talking about this. Let’s just get some sleep.”

 

Jester smiled, exchanging quiet goodnights before heading back to her bedroom and leaving Fjord to his nighttime routine.

 

Beau was blissfully undisturbed even when Jester slid under some of the blankets, rolling over and automatically snuggling closer to her. Every now and then she would shiver a little, curling a little tighter into herself. Jester hugged her close, tiredness coming quickly and without mercy now that she was lying down, falling asleep with Beau in her arms.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> carrying ur best friend to her bed (that you share) after she falls asleep? that's not gay haha... unless?
> 
> Anyway I tried to post this Monday night so that it would be closer to when I usually post it but the wifi was being funky so here it is on Tuesday morning except in Germany this time!!


	29. Fjord 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Jester has returned with Nott to Nott's apartment, not wanting to be alone while waiting for Beau to return, after Fjord goes to work. When Beau does eventually return, they go to their apartment, where they both start giving apologies to each other. After apologising, and the two coming to an agreement to be more honest with each other in the future, Beau tries to stay awake until Fjord return from work, only to fall asleep at the dining table, necessitating Jester to carry her to their bedroom. Jester ends up accidentally staying awake until Fjord gets home, letting him know that Beau is alright. Fjord still feels conflicted, but promises to hear Beau out in the morning.

Beau, to the surprise of neither Jester nor Fjord, woke up sick. After they looked up where exactly in the city the café Caduceus worked at was (a good half an hour walk away), they decided she probably got off easy.

 

She was still left with a sneeze and a light fever, but rather than grumble as she seemed to feel like doing based on her frowns, she let Jester fuss over her and suggest half a dozen cures that may or may not work.

 

Fjord, on the other hand, had just woken up tired, like he’d hardly gone to sleep at all. But he pulled himself up and got dressed and had breakfast, uncertain if he should go to Beau, or wait for her to come to him.

 

He’d spent almost his entire work shift stewing over the entire situation and had come to no real conclusion. Before he could let his thoughts spiral into questions and possibilities again, his breakfast was interrupted by Beau arriving in the dining room, presumably having been informed by Jester that he was awake.

 

She looked like a bit of a mess, to be honest, surreptitiously leaning against the wall, stopping short when Fjord looked up at her.

 

“Hi.” She finally said, immediately looking like she wished she could start over. “Shit- I, uh- can I sit?”

 

Fjord raised an eyebrow but gestured to one of the empty seats. “It’s your table too.”

 

Beau chuckled nervously at that, sliding into one of the seats. Her nose was slightly red, and there was a packet of tissues clutched in one hand. Behind her, Jester was poking out of their bedroom, flashing Fjord a thumb’s up when he made eye contact before disappearing.

 

“So.” Beau began, her free hand fidgeting. “I tried to wait up for you last night. Ya know, just in case you thought I like… forgot about you or something.”

 

“I didn’t expect you to stay up until three in the morning,” Fjord said, not voicing the fact that he’d hoped Beau would’ve returned before he went to work. The unexpected snow hadn’t exactly helped with that.

 

“Right. Yeah. Cool.” Beau sneezed into a tissue and grimaced, pinching the bridge of her nose before continuing. “Okay, I’m sorry if this apology isn’t very good cause I feel like shit right now.”

 

“Are you apologising for your apology?” Fjord asked. Beau stared at him for a moment before noticing his smirk and began to scowl.

 

“Aw, cmon dude, I’m trying to be all serious here.”

 

Fjord nodding, holding up a hand placatingly. “Alright, alright, go ahead.”

 

Beau cleared her throat, glancing over her shoulder to make sure Jester wasn’t watching before turning back to him. “Okay. So, first of all, I’m sorry for like, not being super clear on the whole crime gang thing. Which is an actual thing. I’m definitely in one.”

 

Fjord blinked, not sure if he considered this a good start or not. A flicker of nerves crossed Beau’s face, and she quickly pressed on.

 

“So yeah, that’s the first thing. The second thing is the money, which I kinda hid because I was worried you and Jester would kick me out at some point even though you didn’t do anything to really… warrant that kind of fear. I’m just a paranoid asshole. So that’s my fault.”

 

She sneezed again, looking slightly mortified over this whole thing.

 

“So it was my mistakes and I’m sorry I didn’t trust you or tell the truth, and I’ll try not to get so… freaked out again. So yeah. Those are the main things.” Beau squirmed in her seat, looking up at him with her face drawn tight.

 

“Okay.” Fjord breathed in and then out, running through everything Beau had said in his head again. “Okay. First, you don’t need to worry about getting kicked out. At this point, I think we can safely say that the three of us are stuck with each other. This is established now.” He pointed a finger onto the table to make his point.

 

Beau nodded, her shoulders seeming to relax just a little.

 

“But the thing with being stuck with people is that we can’t go around keeping secrets like that. I need you to be honest with me. Big surprises like the fact that you’re breaking the law on a near-daily basis would not be fun to find out if the police knock down our door looking for you. You get me?” Fjord kept his voice as smooth as he could.

 

Beau nodded again, looking appropriately sheepish. “Yeah, I can see that.”

 

“We can deal with everything else, gods know we’ve already got a long enough rap sheet between the three of us, but something like that could put us all in danger if we don’t know what’s happening.” Fjord leaned back in his chair.

 

“Fair enough.” Beau murmured, rubbing at her eyes and sniffling.

 

Fjord smiled a little, reaching over the table to pat Beau on the shoulder. “I hope you’re not planning on going to work today.”

 

“No, I’ll be fine.” A thought seemed to cross Beau’s mind and she twisted around the chair, calling out down the hallway. “Hey Jester, can you fix sicknesses?”

 

Hardly a second passed before Jester darted out of her bedroom, presumably taking the question as an indication that the serious parts of the conversation were over. “No, sickness is weird. I can mostly just do injuries.” She shrugged, before coming to a stop behind Beau’s chair and looking between her and Fjord hopefully. “Sooooo~”

 

Fjord felt Beau look at him, waiting to see what he’d say. He cleared his throat, dimly realising the remainder of his cereal was now very soggy. “So, I think this has been a very valuable learning experience for us all.”

 

Jester covered her mouth to hide her snickering, and Beau leaned backward in her chair, folding her arms but only appearing slightly annoyed by Fjord referring to this entire debacle as a ‘learning experience’.

 

“Lesson one, don’t go out in the snow for long periods of time.”

 

“Oh, fuck you.” Beau said, but now she was smiling too even as she sniffled, the tension almost gone from her shoulders.

 

“Second of all, communication is a very important skill for us all to have. If you’re worried, please leave snooping as a last resort. Also, if you stumble upon an illegal but lucrative job opportunity in the future, please share it with the group.” He gestured towards each of them in turn. “Not only is money very helpful at keeping all of us alive, but we can hide evidence and provide alibis.”

 

“Teamwork!” Jester chimed in cheerfully, as if this were nothing more than an innocent school project. She hugged Beau from behind with a grin, but Fjord could see the relief on her face.

 

Beau, for her part, had stiffened up slightly at the contact before relaxing, her cheeks seeming more flushed than usual. Perhaps she was sicker then Fjord had originally thought. “Okay. Now we just need to figure out where we go from here.”

 

Jester and Beau looked at him, their expressions a mix of apprehension and curiosity. Jester removed her arms from around Beau and sat down in the other chair around the table, her fingers tapping. “What do you mean?”

 

“Well, it depends on Beau, a bit. I don’t want to tell you how to use your money, but it could do a lot for us.” Fjord winced a little, and Beau’s face tightened, her gaze dropping downward for a moment before she looked up again.

 

“Yeah, I can see what you mean.” That was an understatement, considering Beau tended to do most of the calculations for their financials.

 

“It’s still your income, so you can do what you want with it, but even just a portion of it could be useful.” Fjord leaned back in his chair. “Hells, we could just stick all of it in the savings account for an emergency.”

 

Jester rested her chin in her hands, looking back and forth between Fjord and Beau. “How much money do you have?”

 

Now it was Beau’s turn to wince, and she inhaled slowly, seeming to curl in on herself a little before she spoke. “Overall… six hundred and thirty?”

 

Fjord stared for a moment, and he could feel his eye twitching. Beau must have seen something in his face that set her on edge, because she quickly straightened up, already gearing up to defend herself. “You said communication and honesty is important!”

 

It took… perhaps all of Fjord’s self-control not to start digging into Beau again for hiding that much money from them. But no. He had to stay calm. This was good, this was a good thing. They’d managed alright without that money thus far, this could only lead to things going uphill.

 

Jester’s eyes widened, but she said nothing, still remaining cautious. Fjord breathed out slowly. “Oh my gods.” He quickly cleared his throat, shaking his head to regain himself. “Okay, that’s… more than I expected.”

 

Beau’s eyes flickered away, her eyebrows knitting together. “Yeah. Sorry.”

 

“No, no, it’s good.” He held up his hands, wondering if perhaps he should have saved the money talk for maybe a few days down the line when they weren’t all still reeling from the past twenty-four hours. But it was a bit late for that now.

 

“No, I get it.” Beau sneezed twice, pinching the bridge of her nose. “I-I mean, it was always designated as emergency money, now it’s just to be an emergency for all of us rather than just me, right?”

 

“Maybe we can use some of it to buy more furniture! Or clothes!” Jester said brightly.

 

“Well,bills will be due tomorrow, so after that we can see what needs to be done. No need to rush.” Fjord said, though the idea of new clothes was sorely tempting. He wasn’t sure he’d had a piece of clothing that hadn’t been owned by at least two other people prior to him in his life. But he wasn’t going to say that aloud.

 

Even though nothing had really been decided, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders. As dangerous as criminal work could be, if it continued to pay this well, things would definitely be looking up.

 

Beau sneezed again, even louder than most of the other sneezes she’d been making. “Okay, Beau, I just realised you never actually said whether you’d be calling in sick to work or not.” Fjord said, narrowing his eyes and standing up.

 

Beau squinted right back at him, her fist clenching around the tissues. “I can go to the library, it’s fine. Just some sneezing.”

 

“Yeah, no, that’s super gross.” Fjord said, walking around the table with his plate and flicking Beau on the shoulder with his free hand. “Get some sleep.”

 

“It’s too snowy for me to go outside and do painting, too,” Jester said, her face lighting up. “We can all have a day inside! It will be great!”

 

“No I’m fine!” Beau’s pleas fell on deaf ears, Jester already digging through the fridge for some kind of snack food leftover from New Dawn that was still safe to eat.

 

Fjord couldn’t help a grin as Beau continued to whine that she was absolutely healthy, her point punctuated by ever-increasing sneezes and wheezing as she tried to speak over Jester’s excited ideas for things to do.

 

“I, for one, think it’s a great idea, Jester.” He said smugly. “I’ll let Caleb know you won’t be going into work today.”

 

“Noooooo-” Fjord ignored Beau in favour of pulling out his phone once he’d washed off his dishes.

 

**Fjord: Hey caleb just letting you know beau’s sick and won’t come to the library today. I doubt she’d call in herself since she’s determined to go**

**Caleb: Oh? So she has returned?**

 

Fjord raised an eyebrow, before looking over to Jester. “How does Caleb know Beau ran off last night?”

 

Beau groaned very loudly, while Jester pretended to look very innocent for about three seconds before sighing. “I maaaaay have told Nott and also Caleb and also Yasha and Zuala and I texted Caduceus but he never got back to me.” A beat passed. “I didn’t tell them everything.”

 

“Well I definitely told Caduceus everything,” Beau mumbled from where her head was currently face-down on the table.

 

Fjord nodded slowly, before looking back down at his phone. “Right. Well, that saves us having to explain anything, at least.”

 

**Fjord: Yea she’s back its all good she’s just sick cause of all the snow**

**Caleb: That is good to hear. I will let Professor Bilynn know she is unwell, that should not be an issue.**

 

“You’ve got the day off, Beau. Congratulations.” Fjord said, shooting her a thumbs up.

 

“Fine, then.” Beau scowled, standing up and holding onto the table for stability. “But I’m going to sit on your couch, this chair is uncomfortable. Fuck you.” There was absolutely no vitriol to those last couple of words, and Fjord just rolled his eyes.

 

“I’m going to be generous and blame that on delirium.” He drawled.

 

Jester pulled her head out from the fridge, arms laden down with plastic containers of leftovers. “Ooooh! Maybe some of the others can come over! Fjord! Text them!”

 

“If I’m going to be sick can’t you just let me die in peace?”

 

“Getting right on that, Jester.” Fjord said, tapping at his phone again, this time in the general group chat. It only took a few minutes for Nott to confirm that she’d be right over, and a few more for Caduceus to say that he’d be delighted to join them as well, though he’d have to leave in the afternoon. Since Caleb was going to work for the whole day, that left Yasha and Zuala, who they waited on for an answer for ten minutes before realising they were both likely still asleep after their respective night shifts.

 

After discouraging Jester from calling them both multiple times to wake them up, Fjord sat down on his couch next to Beau, who sat with her legs pulled up and Fjord’s blankets wrapped around her, seeming determined to appear as miserable as possible.

 

Nott arrived with a small collection of board games and playing cards, much to the delight of Jester, and a bottle of whiskey, much to the delight of Beau. Fjord and Beau ended up migrating from sitting on the couch to sitting with their backs up against it to play board games.

 

Caduceus appeared a few minutes later with half a dozen tea bags and soup recipes that were supposedly great for sickness and ‘keeping the body warm’, whatever that meant. Considering what a stick of a man he was, it made sense that he got cold easily.

 

At first, it was mostly Jester, Caduceus and Nott involved in the board games, with Fjord only paying enough attention to slap Nott’s hand away when she tried to slip his token back a few spaces, and Beau aggressively pretending she was too healthy to be having a sick day even though there was no escaping it.

 

Half an hour or so passed before she accepted her fate, reluctantly playing along and promptly becoming stupidly competitive five minutes later. If she had been healthy, Fjord wouldn’t have been surprised if injuries occurred. As it was, she probably got herself heated up enough without Caduceus’ special soups.

 

Caduceus left around noon, and Jester pulled Nott away to show her some of her paintings in her room, promising to come back in a few minutes so they could play some other board game that would probably result in multiple threats of bodily harm, leaving Fjord and Beau leaning against the couch.

 

Beau sighed, resting her head on Fjord’s pillow that she’d pushed behind her, her eyes half-lidded.

 

Fjord let the silence hang there, feeling content. They had things under control again, and that’s all he wanted. If he knew what he should expect, he could deal with it.

 

“Thanks, Fjord.” Beau’s voice was hardly louder than a mumble, slightly croaky and hoarse from all the sneezing.

 

“Thanks?” Fjord tilted his head in her direction, having a general idea of where she was going with this but not entirely certain, and not wanting to interrupt.

 

“Yeah. For letting me stay.”

 

“Beau, this isn’t Jester and I’s apartment with you just hanging around. You’re our friend. I told you, we’re all in this together.” He said.

 

“I…” Beau’s face softened, frowning like she was trying to think of the right words. “Yeah. You said that. I’ve never had that.”

 

“Now you do.” Fjord looped an arm around Beau and pulled her in for a loose side-hug, which was more like lightly squeezing the burrito of blankets she was currently entombed in. She didn’t say anything in response for a moment, but her mouth curled upward.

 

“Thanks for that, then.” She said. “I won’t fuck it up again.”

 

Fjord hummed an acknowledgment, removing his arm from around her and holding his hands behind his neck. There was a strange feeling bubbling in his stomach as he spoke, and it took him a few moments for him to pinpoint why.

 

It had been a while since he’d had a group of people around him that he’d been able to call friends. People that would stick together. He’d missed that feeling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fjord, essentially: if you're gonna do crime, you gotta do crime RIGHT goddaMNIT
> 
> Also six hundred dollars irl is like, not a lot comparatively but in fantasy land it’s a lot don’t @ me


	30. Beau 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: In the morning after temporarily running away, Beau wakes up sick on account of walking through the snow with just her jacket for over half an hour. She apologises to Fjord, and the two of them and Jester discuss where to go from here, laying down some ground rules to hopefully avoid something like this in the future. Beau is then unwillingly given a sick day from work, with Nott and Caduceus invited over to have a day inside, bringing board games and remedies. In a quiet moment, Beau thanks Fjord again for letting her stay, and Fjord reaffirms that they're friends, and that none of them will be kicking one of the others out anytime soon, and to himself, realises that it's been a long time since he's had people he was willing to do that for.

**Seven Weeks Later**

* * *

The air was crisp, and Beau breathed in deeply, readying herself down into a prepared stance. With just her opponent in front of her and nothing to distract her, she took her time, tossing the small rock in her hand into the air to test its weight.

 

She narrowed her eyes at her target, before winding back and throwing with all her might.

 

The empty can, nestled on a low-hanging tree branch, went flying, a ting sounding in the air followed by a light thud as it landed on the grass.

 

A few feet away, sitting on a patchwork picnic blanket, Jester whistled and cheered. “Do it again! On that other tree!”

 

Beau bowed gracefully, grinning and basking in Jester’s praise, jogging over to pick up the can and the rock before going over to the tree that Jester pointed out.

 

She went back to the picnic blanket, trying to sneak a look at the canvas that Jester was sitting in front of. She didn’t get more than a glance, a glimpse of purples and blues, before Jester turned it away, sticking her tongue out at her.

 

“No peeking! It’s going to be a surprise when it’s done!”

 

“Boooooo.” Beau crinkled up her nose playfully, looking over towards the tree where she’d placed the can and trying to judge the distance. “That’s pretty far.”

 

“I bet you can do it, you’re super good,” Jester said matter-of-factly, still holding her canvas so that Beau couldn’t take a look at it.

 

“Of course I can do it.” Beau bragged, puffing her chest out and tilting her head.

 

They’d been sitting out in this small park on the outskirts of the city for a while, Jester painting and Beau just amusing herself with whatever she could find. Everything was far less dense here, the foliage less manicured than the park in the middle of Zadash was, the roads less busy.

 

It was nice to get out of the city, especially now that the snow was gone, spring creeping up on them before they’d even realised it. Especially since Jester had discovered a bakery close to this park, that sold some of the best cinnamon bear claws she’d apparently ever had in her life outside of Nicodranas.

 

Beau reared up to take her shot with the rock, once again nailing the can, to Jester's delight. Beau ran to go get it again, enjoying the bite of the late winter chill on her skin, her jacket zipped up tight but her head exposed to the elements.

 

When she came back, she just dropped the can down onto the picnic blanket, to pick up later when they decided to leave. Then she sat down, not trying to take a look at her painting again but just leaning backwards on her arms.

 

“When do you think Fjord will come back? He and Zuala have been gone for a really long time.” Jester said, more to fill the silence than anything.

 

“I figure things are either going really well, or they’ve crashed into a ditch somewhere.” Beau shrugged, a wry smile on her face.

 

Jester jutted her bottom lip out at that idea. “But then how will we get home?”

 

“Ah, I’m sure he’s doing fine. Besides, there’s a bus stop close by, I saw it on the way.” Beau said, and Jester seemed mollified by that, focusing back on her painting.

 

Beau tugged up the hood on her jacket and laid down onto her back, her hands under her head and one leg over the other, her foot waving loosely in the air. It only took a few moments for boredom to begin to seep in, so she tilted her head to the side, giving herself an angle that allowed her to see Jester.

 

She was fully focused on her painting, her nose crinkled up and brows furrowed in concentration, the tip of her tongue poking out the corner of her mouth. She was wearing overalls and a long-sleeved shirt which already had paint stains on the edges of the sleeves, her tail twitching where it lay curled around her.

 

Some of her hair had been tied up in a bun, with the rest that was too short hanging loosely. She was adorable. Adorable and beautiful and adorably beautiful.

 

Beau forced herself to look away as her heart threatened to start beating faster before Jester caught her eye and she got flustered or something equally stupid. Things had practically only _just_  gotten under control again. She, Jester and Fjord had their situation sorted, and she wasn’t going to mess it up.

 

She could hide feelings. It would be fine. Yeah. She could hide it and then the crush would probably pass and she could have her friends Fjord and Jester and she wouldn’t mess it up and things would be fine.

 

Even if Jester made it really annoyingly difficult by being so goddamn cute. And pretty. And excitable. And kind. And sleeping in the same bed as her. A bed which was  _not_  originally intended for two people, by the way.

 

Not that Beau was going to be the one to suggest buying a bigger mattress. Or another mattress.

 

It was fine.

 

She sighed, trying to think of something else to prevent her from dwelling on feelings for any longer, before she was thankfully interrupted by the sound of a car driving on gravel, coming closer before drawing to a painstakingly careful stop.

 

Pushing herself to a sitting position, they saw Zuala’s car — an old silver hatchback that had definitely seen many, many better days — parked crookedly in the parking lot of the park, a hundred feet or so away from them. As they watched, the car pulled out a little and tried to correct itself, having to awkwardly reverse and then come back in quite a few times before it was relatively straight.

 

Only then did the car turn off, and Fjord climbed out of the driver’s seat, a satisfied smile on his face. Zuala, smiling brightly, followed a few seconds later.

 

Jester had begun to pack up as soon as the car had arrived, gently tucking her unfinished painting into a pillowcase to protect it and then more haphazardly dumping everything else into her painting bag while Beau gathered up the blanket they’d been sitting on and the other random things they’d had with them.

 

They met Fjord and Zuala by the car, where the two of them were chattering happily about how the driving ‘lesson’ had gone. Since Zuala was far from a proper instructor, it was more or less sticking Fjord in front of the wheel and letting him figure it out for himself while Zuala told him what all the buttons did. All the buttons that she knew the function of, at least.

 

But since she was the only one with an actual license for a car that wasn’t expired or linked the owner to at least half a dozen crimes, she was the only one who could supervise Fjord while he practised for his driving test, which he wanted to do for some godsforsaken reason.

 

Something about a car being useful, or whatever.

 

“How’d it go?” Jester asked as they approached.

 

“Mighty fine, if I do say so myself.” Fjord said, looking very smug.

 

“He nearly ran into a tree!” Zuala said, her smile never fading.

 

Fjord grimaced, while both Jester and Beau smirked.

 

“Only nearly?” Beau drawled. “That’s way better than I thought.”

 

“He’s doing very well, and that’s my professional opinion.” Zuala held herself with all the air of the most law-abiding member of the group chat, patting the hood of the car. “What did you two get up to?”

 

“Normal stuff, climbed trees, threw rocks at things.” Beau shrugged, “Jester painted  _something_  and I bet it’s great but she won’t show me.”

 

“It’s a surprise!” Jester said for the fifth time or so, elbowing Beau. “It’s going to hang in our living room so it’s got to be super-duper good.”

 

“Ooh,” Zuala said. “Are you decorating?”

 

“Yeah!”

 

“She’s covering up a hole in the wall that I made.” Fjord said with a sigh. Jester just shrugged as if that didn’t particularly matter.

 

“How did you make a hole in the wall? Did you punch it?” Zuala asked, seeming excited to find out.

 

“…No.” Fjord covered his face with one hand, and Beau cleared her throat, always happy to illuminate.

 

“We were trying to see if he could make his glowy magic energy thing strong enough to shoot through walls. Turns out he can.” She said, smirking.

 

Zuala covered her mouth to try and stifle a snort, but Fjord only groaned as Jester described the size and shape of the hole, waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

 

“Al-alright! Okay, moving on from _that_ , can we get going? Please. It’s starting to get late.”Fjord said, putting a hand over Jester’s to stop the gesture she was currently making with them.

 

Snickering, they all piled into the car, Zuala taking over the driving to get back home. It was a nice area out here, far better to practise driving than in the denser parts of the city where they all lived. Fjord sat in the passenger seat and quickly struck up a conversation with Zuala about the driving test he’d have to do eventually.

 

Meanwhile, in the back, Beau sat with her legs pulled up onto the seat with her, a small mountain of painting supplies between her and Jester. She didn’t mind so much. Sleeping in the same bed with her already gave her enough proximity-induced heart attacks on the daily.

 

There was a vibrating in her pocket, and Beau pulled out her burner phone, humming to herself as she read the message.

 

“Oooh, what’s going on?” Jester leaned over her things, tilting her head to try and get a good look, not that it gave many details.

 

“Got called in,” Beau said, flipping the phone shut again and tucking it away. “Zuala, are you able to drop me off near the Evening Nip?”

 

“Crime gang shit?” Fjord asked before Zuala could answer, twisting around in his seat to look over his shoulder.

 

Beau nodded and shrugged. “Didn’t seem like anything big, at least.”

 

“How much do they tell you about things before you get there?” Zuala asked.

 

“Pretty much nothing. If it’s really important they’ll slap an ‘ASAP’ on the end.” Beau rolled her eyes. “Leaves less of a trail _and_  it’s more dramatic. Win-win for them.”

 

“Hopefully it’s something fun!” Zuala said brightly, already adjusting her course slightly.

 

After coming clean to Jester and Fjord about the crime gang, it had taken less than twenty-four hours before all of their other friends knew about it as well. None of them really cared or even seemed extremely surprised, taking it in stride and mostly being concerned about the possibility of the police being drawn to them. A month and a half had passed since then and no police had busted down their doors, so everyone was pretty much downright relaxed about it now.

 

Thinking back on how much she’d panicked about it before everyone had found out, their almost nonchalance was both reassuring and slightly infuriating, though more at herself for getting so worked up. 

 

Zuala dropped her off a few blocks away from the Evening Nip, the other three wishing her good luck and Jester adding in an extra request to not get hurt because she’d used a lot of magic earlier in the day to temporarily change the signs of random businesses they came across to various innuendoes based on their actual names.

 

Beau just gave her a mock salute before getting out of the car, throwing a wave goodbye over her shoulder before setting off down towards the bar/gang hideout. She knew the way to get in easily now, not wasting any time. One of the Gentleman’s friends spotted her as she came into the underground disco lounge or whatever it was actually supposed to be, pointing her towards the Gentleman’s side room for mission assignments.

 

There wasn’t anyone else in there besides the Gentleman and a few of his buddies sitting next to him for once, which was odd. Usually, there’d be at least a couple more people in there, that would be coming along with her on wherever she was supposed to be going. She hadn’t even seen Hannah, Louis or Therad in the disco lounge on her way in, and they were still the ones she usually had jobs with.

 

“Nice to see you, Beau.” The Gentleman’s voice had not an ounce of sincerity, and she folded her arms. “Pleasant trip here, I hope.”

 

“It was fine,” Beau said cooly, looking around the room just to double-check for anything new. There wasn’t. “What’s up?”

 

“Straight to the point. I do like that about you.” The Gentleman smiled, taking a drink. “I suppose I should do the same.”

 

He paused for a moment anyway, taking his sweet time to get more comfortable on his couch and pour more wine into his glass.

 

“There’s an event coming up soon. A mingling of politicians, business owners, those with a salary of six figures or more, you know the types.” He made a show of rolling his eyes. “Powerful, wealthy, manipulative…”

 

“Rich douchebags.” Beau summed it up, folding her arms and keeping her face steeled. “What do you want me to do about it?”

 

“Why, attend of course. There are always interesting things to hear at events like those. Deals made, gossip shared, money exchanged.” The Gentleman steepled his hands, a mischievous glint in his eyes. “All the things I do just love knowing about. So what do you think?”

 

Dodging the question for a moment, Beau raised an eyebrow. “You think _I'm_  the best suited for this job? I don’t know what I did to give you that impression but I’d love for you to tell me so I can stop it immediately.”

 

The Gentleman chuckled, and he almost always chuckled, never laughed. Too much genuine emotion for him, probably. “Oh, you’re not. But all the people who are are visible enough in that kind of society. Some of them are known to be connected to me. No credible proof, of course, but sometimes hearsay is enough for those types to avoid doing anything juicy around them. You, however, are a clean slate. All you have to do is get in the door and then sneak around to spy on people if you wish, or stand around and listen to what is said. If you hear nothing interesting, that is still useful information for me.”

 

Beau hummed to herself, tapping a finger on her arm and pursing her lips. The thought of mingling with ‘high society’ was enough to make her stomach church, but _spying_  on high society? Now that was fun.

 

Chances were it wouldn’t be extremely dangerous, but there were other ways to get the blood pumping. Then there was always the money.

 

“How much do I get for it?” She asked, and the Gentleman smiled ever so slightly.

 

“A hundred for going, up to two hundred more if you find out something particularly interesting.” He said Beau whistled lowly. That was a  _lot_  for just one night's work. Definitely worth it for a few hours of stupid etiquette.

 

“Alright, you’ve got me.” She said, loosening her arms. The Gentleman’s smile widened.

 

“Excellent. I’ll let you know everything you need to know soon. Keep your phone handy.” He winked and leaned back, a dismissal without ever saying so.

 

Beau slipped back into the main disco lounge, picking up a can of beer and parking herself on one of the soft, cushion-overloaded chairs by the sides of the room. It wasn’t very busy tonight, with only a few groups of lower gang members huddling close together and discussing things, and a few other people simply hanging out and enjoying some time amongst their fellow criminals.

 

Her phone didn’t work very well down there, which she suspected to be the result of some kind of magical ward, protecting against any idiot who thought it would be wise to try and record some of the going-ons down here. Beau had never seen the Gentleman or one of his other friends use a phone, but she wouldn’t have been surprised if they were exempt from said ward.

 

But Beau was definitely not, so she had to simply sit while she drank her beer, avoiding eye contact with everyone else before she left.

 

Once she got home, Fjord and Jester were both sitting at the table and chatting to each other while eating dinner, Fjord already dressed up for work. Jester noticed her first, her face lighting up.

 

“Beau! You’re back so soon!” Then she held up her dinner plate, showing off the food, and very nearly dropping half of it onto the table. “Look, I made beans and sausages!”

 

“We haven’t put your portion in the fridge yet.” Fjord pointed towards the kitchenette, where a plate and pot were sitting, alongside empty cans that looked more than a little mangled. “What’s got you back so soon?”

 

“Turns out it was less of a job and more of an interview.” Beau stretched her arms above her head and walked over to the kitchenette to grab some food. The sausages were only slightly burnt, which was a marked improvement over the last time Jester tried to cook. “He wants me to do some infiltration job where I get into this important event thing and collect gossip.”

 

“Like a super spy?” Jester asked, her eyes alight.

 

Beau thought for a moment, before grinning. “Yeah. Like a super spy.” That sounded cooler.

 

“How are you plannin on getting in?” Fjord asked, and Beau shrugged.

 

“He didn’t mention me having to figure that out myself, but he also said he’d tell me more soon. If he doesn’t have a plan, I could always just climb in through a window.”

 

“What kind of event is it?”

 

“A bunch of bigwigs schmoozing with each other. Typical rich people stuff.” Beau sat down at the table.

 

Jester leaned forward, dropping her voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Will you have to kill someone?”

 

“Probably not. I haven’t had to kill anyone. Yet.”

 

“Wouldn’t an event like that have some pretty crazy security?” Fjord frowned a little.

 

“That’s a problem for future Beau to worry about.” Beau flashed him a smug smile, and he rolled his eyes.

 

“Is it fancy? Will you have to wear fancy clothes?” Jester rested her chin on her hands. “Fancy parties are the best!”

 

“Probably.” Beau paused, before grimacing. “Jeez, I did  _not_ think about that. Gross.”

 

“What have you got against fancy clothes?” Fjord asked, one eyebrow raised.

 

“Fancy clothes are the best!” Jester gushed, closing her eyes. “So many beautiful dresses, and men in suits, and the ladies are always so pretty with amazing makeup and their hair done and when you dance your skirt goes all poofy and it’s amazing!”

 

“Did you go to lots of fancy parties in Nicodranas?” Beau asked, pointedly ignoring Fjord’s question. From the way his eyebrow raised just a little higher, he noticed. Jester, however, did not.

 

“Well, my Mama threw really, really nice parties sometimes to perform at and I technically wasn’t supposed to be around for those, but I would sneak around the upstairs to watch!” Jester said. “And sometimes she would throw smaller parties just for us and some other people in the Chateau and then we’d be able to dance and I could wear my prettiest dresses and it was so fun!”

 

“That sounds really nice, Jester.” Fjord said. “I’m pretty sure the fanciest party I’ve ever been to was the birthday party for my ship’s captain when it happened while we were ashore once. It was at some bar in Port Zoon.”

 

He sighed wistfully, a fond look crossing his face. “I do not remember most of that night.”

 

“I wonder what fancy parties in Zadash are like,” Jester said, smiling softly, her eyes closed as if she were imagining it. “I bet they’re so cool.”

 

“Chances are this one won’t be very exciting,” Beau said, stabbing a piece of sausage with her fork. “Probably lots of standing around and talking and pretending you just like everyone in the room so much no matter how idiotic they are.”

 

She rolled her eyes as theatrically as she could stand, pretending to gag, which made Jester giggle.

 

Beau smirked at that, before relaxing and shuffling her beans around on her plate. “I’ll be fine. It’s pretty good pay, too. One hundred just for going, even if I don’t bring back anything useful. Apparently no news can be good news for him.”

 

Fjord whistled lowly, and Jester ‘ooh’ed. Now that she was putting her earnings from the Gentleman into their No Longer As Financially Fucked As We Coulda Been Book, they were all feeling a little bit more comfortable. Not so much that their fridge breaking down or something wouldn’t take a concerning chunk out of their savings to fix or replace, but enough that they could think a bit more long term about things.

 

It was calm. Fjord’s job was as steady and reliable as ever. Jester’s was a bit more fluctuating, but now that winter was over more people would be taking to the streets soon, and online she was slowly amassing small amounts of attention. She was far from famous, but it was enough to get a few extra commissions every now and then. As for Beau, between the library and crime gang and spending most of her free time with Jester or some of the others, she felt… busy.

 

Busy and productive. It was an unfamiliar feeling. She had a routine, one that wasn’t so strict she felt tied down. More importantly, she had friends. Things were good, and for once the status quo wasn’t something she wanted to change.

 

To be honest, it left her on edge. The part of her that had been so certain she’d get kicked out of the apartment had now changed its tune, convinced that there was no way this careful peace could last. Something would give eventually.

 

Beau tried her best to ignore that irritating little voice, but it could never really go away completely. Survival was just too ingrained in her, an itch that preached that nothing ever really lasted. But she was determined not to let this slip by. She wasn’t going to lose this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and so Arc 2 begins. It's a bit shorter than the first arc, but a bit more dramatic lol. And first up we have a classic party infiltration
> 
> no ive never written anything like this before what are you talking about...
> 
> I just really really like party infiltrations okay
> 
> Additionally:  
> Has a valid drivers license: Zuala  
> Can drive but does not have a valid license: Caleb, Beau (kinda), Nott (theoretically, is NOT to be trusted behind the wheel)  
> Has had a couple driving lessons max: Fjord, Jester  
> Has a motorcycle license: Yasha  
> Has a bicycle: Caduceus
> 
> I have reasons for all of these which maybe I’ll talk about in a future authors note lol  
> Basically Zuala and Fjord are the only ones here that regularly make attempts to follow society and rules and stuff. Caleb does it too but only so he can stay off the radar as much as possible.


	31. Beau 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Seven weeks have passed, and things are looking up for our trio. Fjord's getting driving lessons, Jester's painting as much as ever, and Beau is mostly relaxed and balancing a crime-not crime life in a relatively healthy way. Then the Gentleman calls her in, telling her about a fancy event that he wants her to infiltrate so that she can eavesdrop about the various dealings among the high society of Zadash. Beau is reluctant, but after thinking about it (and hearing about the money she'll get if she does it), she ends up agreeing.

“You’re joking.” Beau frowned deeply, for once not bothering to steel her expression into the most indifference she could muster.

 

“Of course not, I take my work seriously.” The Gentleman’s smile was anything but serious, the two of them sitting over a collection of photos and documents.

 

“A partner? Really?”

 

“You’d stand out even more without one. Events like these have certain… expectations for them.” The Gentleman shrugged.

 

“I’m aware,” Beau spoke through gritted teeth, looking back down at the invitation she held in her hands. Good for one attendee to a banquet dinner.

 

And a plus-one.

 

It really had been far too long since she’d been anywhere close to high society, and she was starting to regret accepting this job.

 

“Then I’m sure you’ll have no problem.” The Gentleman’s voice was light, shuffling around documents. “It’s up to you who you take, though I suggest someone relatively inconspicuous.”

 

“Obviously.” Beau murmured, looking down at the rest of the information she had.

 

The Gentleman had called her in again a little while ago, just two days after he’d given her this job. He’d spent some time running through the basics of the actual event — some kind of charity banquet that was mostly an excuse for rich people to get together, drink wine, and feel good about themselves which was probably more expensive to hold than however much they donated to charity — and a few people of interest that the Gentleman really wanted her to find some dirt on.

 

It was only near the end when he’d dropped the concept of taking a plus-one on her, as if it were as small a detail as the day of the week it would be held.

 

It wouldn’t be a big deal if she’d had any idea of who she’d take. She wasn’t exactly friends with many of the other criminals in this gang.

 

“I believe that covered just about everything.” The Gentleman smirked at her, gathering up the documents and photos but leaving her with the invitation. Then he paused as if remembering something, reaching into a pocket and pulling out a small envelope. “And here. You should be able to get some suitable clothes.”

 

“Right. Fantastic.” Beau took the envelope and tucked it into an inner pocket in her jacket along with the invitation, where they probably wouldn’t get all crumpled up.

 

She took her leave fairly quickly, moving briskly through the streets to get home, the sky brushed with the light purples, pinks, and oranges of a sunset. From a higher vantage point, it would probably make a pretty picture. Maybe one that Jester would like to paint. But Beau didn’t stop to admire it.

 

The apartment was locked when she first arrived, which meant Jester was probably with one of the others and Fjord was already off to work. Unlocking it, the living room was as quiet as to be expected, and poking around in the fridge revealed the Tupperware container that Jester had written ‘Beau’s Leftovers’, surrounded by flowers and dicks, which contained whatever dinner had been made that night while she’d been out doing at the Evening Nip.

 

In-between heating that up on the stove, Beau texted Jester, finding out that she was in Nott’s apartment helping her sort through some of her collections, which was apparently a very involved process.

 

Not wanting to hang out in an otherwise empty apartment for too long, once her food was heated up Beau scooped it all back into the Tupperware container, grabbed a fork and walked over to Nott’s apartment, announcing herself by way of opening the door very loudly.

 

Jester and Nott were sitting and walking around the living room respectively, buckets and piles worth of buttons, plastic jewelry and trinkets scattered around. If Beau looked at the scene she would have been able to discern some vague sense of organisation with it all, but mostly it just looked like a mess.

 

“Damn. That’s a lot of stuff.” She took only a few steps into the apartment, just on the outskirts of the knick-knack armageddon.

 

“Beau, come look!” Jester beamed and held up her hands, which were completely laden down with as many rings as she could fit onto her fingers, some obviously fake but others probably worth at least something. “I look like the richest person ever!”

 

“You’d have me fooled,” Beau said, the corner of her mouth curling upwards when Jester’s smile widened, giggles escaping her mouth.

 

Nott seemed far more serious about the entire endeavour, carefully looking at each item, turning it over in her hands and holding it up to the light before deciding which pile to put it into. She barely acknowledged Beau’s presence at all, until Beau took a step closer, whereupon her head jerked up, eyes narrowed. “Don’t touch anything!”

 

“Jester’s touching stuff.” Beau pointed out. She had no real intention of touching anything, but now she kind of wanted to for the contrarianism of it all.

 

“Jester’s cool, she can do whatever she wants.” Nott scoffed, while Jester tried to put at least five tangled necklaces on at once, only really succeeding at getting them caught in her horns and hair.

 

“Yeah, that’s fair.” Beau conceded, looking around for a spot on the ground where she could sit.

 

“Ah, fuck-” Jester hissed, some of the rings she was wearing now caught in her hair. “Shit balls, help-”

 

Beau snorted, trying not to choke on her dinner for a second before setting her container aside and gingerly tip-toeing her way to the centre of the room to where Jester was sitting. Jester sighed theatrically, her tail flicking back and forth agitatedly while Beau took a second to survey the entire mess.

 

“Oh, Jes.” She could hardly keep the amusement out of her voice, and Jester groaned, wiggling around on the spot and pouting.

 

“Beaaaaau, help!” Jester looked up at her, her arms sticking out and tugging helplessly at her hands.

 

“C’mere.” Beau tried to stifle her chuckling, squatting down and carefully beginning to untangle the rings, necklaces, horns, hair and Jester’s fingers. Jester huffed for most of it, wincing if Beau tugged on some caught hair a little too tightly, but Beau didn’t have the guts to really admonish her or tease her about it, even if she’d brought it upon herself. Maybe it was because her pout was just so cute.

 

“There you go.” She pulled the final necklace off, picking out strands of blue hair and flicking them off her fingers before passing it off to Nott, who apparently didn’t trust Beau not to put anything down in a dumb spot somewhere. “How’s your hair?”

 

Jester huffed again, patting down her hair and running her fingers through some knotted bits, her nose scrunching up. “Aw man, this is gonna suck to brush. Does it still look okay?”

 

Beau looked at Jester’s hair for a moment before making an ‘okay’ sign with her hand. “Cute as ever, Jes.”

 

That brought a bit of a smile to Jester’s face and in turn a tingling in Beau’s chest that she tried to ignore. Happy again after that mishap, Jester gathered up some of the rings that she’d been wearing before, while Beau headed back towards her dinner.

 

“How was your crime gang thing this time, Beau?” Jester asked after a moment, tilting some of the rings until they shimmered from the reflection of lamplight in the room.

 

“Just talked about the infiltration thing, like I thought,” Beau said, her eyebrows knitting together when she remembered it. “Got the invitation for it and everything.”

 

“Oooh, can I see?” Jester asked, getting to her feet and stepping over trinkets to make her way over to Beau.

 

Beau pulled out the invitation and handed it over, Jester immediately turning it over and around in her hand, seeming to take a moment to admire the fancy border before she even began reading the actual thing.

 

“What kind of place are you sneaking into?” Nott asked, seeming interested for the first time since Beau had arrived in her apartment.

 

“Charity banquet.”

 

“Banquet? What kind of food?” Nott’s ears pricked up, her eyes alight.

 

Beau shrugged. “Typical rich-people stuff, probably. Duck, roasts, fancy soups. Caviar, maybe, who fucking knows.”

 

“I don't know what that is but it sounds funky.” Nott nodded in approval. “You should bring some back for me.”

 

“You know what, I’ll do my best.” Beau flashed Nott a wry grin. Why not? “No promises, though.”

 

“Sure, sure.” Nott waved a hand in her direction. “If I don’t get any you’re banned from my apartment for life.” 

 

“Woah, it says you get to take a plus one!” Jester said, pointing at a spot on the invitation. “You can take someone with you!”

 

Beau grimaced at the reminder, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Yeah, that’s gonna be such a pain.”

 

“How come?”

 

“Because I don’t want to infiltrate a banquet with some rando from the gang.” Beau made a face that she hoped accurately depicted her disgust. “Doing something like that is hard enough by myself without having to pretend to enjoy the company of some other criminal.”

 

“Do you have to take someone else from the gang?” Nott asked from across the room.

 

“I mean, I guess not, but there aren’t exactly many people that I could explain this whole situation to and have them go along with it.” Beau rolled her eyes.

 

“What about me?” It took a moment for Beau to register what Jester had said, and when she did, she could only blink.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Me!” Jester repeated, still holding the invitation. “I could go with you!”

 

“You?” Beau’s brain had short-circuited somewhere, and when it finally caught up to her, she didn’t have any kind of response. How had she not considered that possibility before?

 

“Yes!” Jester grinned, holding the invitation against her chest. “It would be so fun! And I already know about the gang so you won’t have to worry about that, and I’m _so_ good at talking to people and I could distract them while you go do sneaky spy things and it would be so fun!”

 

Beau let that wash over her, the surface implications sinking into her brain.

 

Jester was right. In fact, she was so right that Beau was slightly irritated she hadn’t thought of it herself before now.

 

“Yeah. That would be.” Beau said, setting what was left of her dinner aside for a moment. Jester’s face absolutely lit up at the agreement, clapping her hands together before handing the invitation back to Beau.

 

“That’s so exciting! It’d be like we’re both super spies! You’re the super cool grizzled veteran criminal, and I’m like your best friend who accidentally fell into a life of crime, but now I’m just so good at it you have to take me on all your crimes with you.” Jester struck a pose that she’d probably seen on a movie poster somewhere, holding her hands like they were a gun and pointing it at a random spot on the wall with one eye closed.

 

“Grizzled?” Beau smirked. Grizzled _did_ sound pretty badass, though.

 

“Does that make me your mission control?” Nott asked.

 

“Yes! Definitely! You could stay outside the building and warn us if any cops show up! Then we break through a window and escape through the streets!”

 

“Yeah, okay, we’re not doing any of that,” Beau said bluntly, before hesitating. “Probably.”

 

“ _Sure_ ,” Jester said, winking very, very pointedly at Beau while Nott mused about getting a cool headset like the mission control in spy movies.

 

“Right.” Beau shook her head, though unable to shake off the fond smile on her face. It was almost ridiculous, how easily Jester could get her to crack. “So we’ve got a week until the banquet. I think the only things we really need are clothes.”

 

Jester spun around to face Beau, her mouth dropping open. “Omigosh, you’re right! It’s really fancy, isn’t it?”

 

Beau nodded, pulling the small envelope out of her jacket. “The Gentleman gave me this, I figure it’s money to buy clothes or something.”

 

She opened the envelope, Jester sidling up beside her and sitting down, eager to see what exactly was inside.

 

Contrary to her expectations, there was not a wad of cash inside, or some kind of prepaid debit card or whatever she may have imagined. Instead, there was a single thin business card with a name, address and phone number, along with a message written underneath in loopy handwriting that read ‘ _Tell Jenna I sent you. - G_ ’.

 

Jester’s eyes widened, taking the card from Beau’s hand and turning it over. “Woah. This is so cool!”

 

Beau, meanwhile, just rolled her eyes. “Never misses a chance to be dramatic.”

 

“It’s for a clothing shop!” Jester said, reading the front of the business card carefully. “In the Tri-Spires!”

 

“The Tri-Spires?” Now Nott came over, taking the offered business card from Jester. “Holy shit, this _is_ fancy.”

 

Jester was practically squealing, throwing an arm around Beau and shaking her. “This is going to be so exciting!”

 

Beau laughed, letting Jester shake her from side-to-side for a few moments before she settled down, removing her arm to point out the handwritten message from the Gentleman on the other side.

 

“We need to go! We’ve got to!” Jester said, before looking at Beau. “Can we go now?”

 

“What? No! It’s way too late for that!” Beau leaned back against the wall, and ran a hand through her hair, thinking for a moment. “We could go tomorrow? After my shift at the library?”

 

Jester nodded, pulling out her phone and tapping away. “I’ll figure out how far away it is! This is going to be so amazing!”

 

She held up a hand in front of Beau, fingers splayed and an expectant grin on her face. Beau exhaled fondly before slapping her hand against Jester’s, finishing off the rest of her dinner while Jester and Nott gushed about how cool and full of expensive things the Tri-Spires district of the city probably was.

 

This was going to be way more fun with Jester around.

 

* * *

 

The Tri-Spires district was, historically and currently, by far the most expensive and exclusive district in Zadash. Even a hundred or so years ago, there were armed guards actively refusing entry to people that didn’t look like they belonged.

 

These days there weren’t many armed guards around, replaced by walled-off estates that did most of the refusing for them. But the high-class shopping section of the district was theoretically free for anyone to enjoy.

 

In practise, of course, most poorer people were alienated from the area by the sheer wealth of everything, and the judgemental looks of those that lived in the district.

 

Jester hardly seemed to notice those looks, happy as a clam as she skipped through the perfectly clean streets on the wonderfully smooth and crack-free sidewalk. She fit in a lot better appearance-wise anyway, while Beau was not only tired from a long shift at the library, but none of her clothes had been made less than five years ago.

 

Still, if Jester was happily oblivious, Beau just didn’t care. She glared down anyone who decided to try and give her a look that said she didn’t belong there, and most of them were cowardly enough to quickly avert their gaze, hurrying along wherever they were going.

 

“Over here!” Jester pointed down one of the streets, towards a bright sign that read ‘Jenna’s’ in a barely legible font. She took Beau’s hand and began to pull her along down the street.

 

There was a short burst of music emanating from nowhere as they opened the door, finding themselves in a tall but thin store. Much of the light in the room came from the wall to wall windows at the front, with pendant lights hanging from the ceiling illuminating the rest of the store.

 

Mannequins dressed in suits and ballgowns lined the walls, and other outfits were carefully hung on racks, posed and displayed to show off some fancy belt or tie or the wonderful colour or whatever they thought was most important.

 

“Hello! Er- how can I help you today?” A skinny blond man came up to them, a name tag pinned to his chest proclaiming his name to be Lachlan. His smile was a little flustered before it smoothed into a perfect customer service grin, his hands clasped behind his back.

 

“Yeah, we’re looking for Jenna?” Beau asked, making direct eye contact. After a few moments, she decided that maybe she should try for a polite smile, and decided to believe that the way Lachlan’s face paled after that was really because of her request and not anything else.

 

“I’m afraid she’s busy with another client at the moment, but if there’s anything I can do for you?” Lachlan said, bringing his hands to his front and rubbing his wrists nervously.

 

“We can wait.” Beau shrugged, locating a few stools that they’d be able to sit on and steering her way over to them. “Just let us know when she’s done. Please.”

 

Lachlan stammered for a few moments, casting a pleading look at another shop assistant who gave him a glance that Beau interpreted as ‘you’re on your own’ before returning her attention to another customer.

 

“Actually, you _can_ help me.” Jester said, a glint in her eye.

 

Lachlan visibly relaxed, plastering on his smile again and turning to Jester. “What would you like?”

 

“Do you have any dress from Nicodranas? Designed for tieflings? Cause getting dresses over my head can be really hard sometimes, so I’ll need a dress that can work with horns.” Jester said solemnly, tapping a finger on one of her horns.

 

“Uh…” Lachlan looked between Beau and Jester as if he were being asked to choose between two different kinds of execution, before clearing his throat. “I’ll go… check that for you. Excuse me.”

 

He hurried away, and Jester walked over to Beau, folding her arms.

 

“Hmph. It was just a question.” She huffed, sitting down on another stool.

 

“I don’t think there are very many tieflings this deep in the Empire.” Beau said, picking at a loose thread in her jacket. “They design for humans, halflings, gnomes, elves, and not much else.”

 

“Well, that’s stupid of them.”

 

“I hear ya. Probably a bit less homogenous in the Menagerie Coast, yeah?” Beau leaned back, resting her head against the wall of the store, keeping one eye on the other people in the store (who were, for the most part, seemingly trying to pretend they weren’t there) and the other on Jester.

 

“Definitely. I… I didn’t get out much, but like, even looking out the window I could see lots of different people. Tieflings and half-orcs and stuff. Once, I saw this lady with red skin, but she wasn’t a tiefling. Mama said she was a genasi, which was super cool. One of my friends, Blude, he’s a _minotaur_.” She sighed, leaning back against the wall like Beau. “They weren’t like, _everywhere_ , but there were more of them than there are here. I’ve only seen another tiefling _once_! Once, in this whole entire city!”

 

“That sucks.” Beau scrunched her nose up, looking to the side to see Jester better. “I’ve always wanted to go to the Menagerie Coast, you know?”

 

“You should, it’s the best. Especially Nicodranas.” Jester giggled at herself, soft and quiet. “Really, though?”

 

Beau nodded. “Yeah. When I was a kid I would imagine sneaking onto a ship and sailing away to a whole other continent. Marquet, that was a place I always wanted to end up in.”

 

“Wow, that’s kinda crazy, you know. But I bet Marquet doesn’t have anything that Nicodranas already has.” Jester puffed her chest out a little.

 

“It’s got the ocean.” Beau said. “I’ve never been to the ocean.”

 

Jester gasped, looking almost offended. “What? Never? Never at all?”

 

“My parents didn’t let me leave the house much.” Beau said nonchalantly, belatedly realising that that might sound weird. “I caused too much trouble.”

 

“My Mama didn’t let me leave much either.” Jester admitted, her eyebrows knitting together ever so slightly before relaxing again. “It wasn’t because I made trouble though, it was to keep us safe.”

 

“Safe?” Beau raised an eyebrow, tilting her head.

 

“Yeah. My Mama is super cool and famous, you know, but my dad isn’t around to help us. So she has to make money all by herself, and having a kid makes it way harder because people are like, really stupid and dumb. So I had to kind of be a secret, so I had to stay inside a lot.”

 

“Wow. That’s crazy.” Beau said. Jester had talked about her mother a lot, nothing but praise for how amazing and kind and beautiful she was. And also how super good at her job she was. Very, very good. “When did you get to leave?”

 

“Sometimes Blude would get to take me out, or one of the other ladies that work there, Penelope. She’s really cool, she’d take me to the bakery sometimes and then get me ice cream, and I’d pretend that she was my Mama and that she had adopted me. Then I’d go home to my actual Mama and she would let me talk about where I’d been and sing songs with me. It was so fun.” Jester chuckled, her smile turning a little wistful.

 

A moment passed, and then Jester exhaled slowly, her smile wavering a little. “I miss home, sometimes. I want to go back someday.”

 

Beau could not relate any less, but she kept her mouth shut, humming an acknowledgment of what Jester was saying, but unsure of what an appropriately reassuring thing to say in response would be.

 

“Maybe you could sneak back in someday. Like a spy.” She finally said, and Jester’s smile widened, just a little.

 

“That _would_ be cool,” Jester admitted. “But I don’t want Mama to get in trouble because of me.”

 

“I’m sure we’d be able to figure out a way.”

 

Jester didn’t say anything in response for a while, the two of them sitting in silence before Beau noticed Lachlan returning, his face steeled as he walked up to them.

 

“Thank you for your patience. Jenna is ready to see you now.” He said, not seeming particularly pleased. “If you’ll just follow me.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oh what a wonderful turn of events jester has to go with beau!!! :3 how amazing
> 
> Anyway this should be the final chapter posted while I'm on holidays, and we should be back to business as usual on the 7th of January!!! Yeet yeet!


	32. Jester 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau gets more information about her new job from the Gentleman, including the unwelcome fact that she'd need to take a partner. Displeased with the prospect of having to take someone else from the gang, Beau returns home and finds Jester and Nott, telling them about what she'd been told and expressing her annoyance. Jester, however, suggests another option. Taking herself as a parter, which Beau agrees to without really thinking about it. With that decided, Beau and Jester set out the next day to a store the Gentleman directed them to, in hopes of getting suitable clothes.

Jester and Beau followed Lachlan towards the back of the store, to where a short half-elven woman was adjusting the skirt of a dress on one of the mannequins, the perfect show of polite aloofness as they arrived, as if they were lucky to be granted some of her time.

 

Despite her show of indifference, she turned around just as they got close, tucking a loose strand of curled platinum blonde hair behind her ear. “Thank you, Lachlan.”

 

Lachlan nodded and murmured an acknowledgment of some kind, scurrying away without even returning Jester’s goodbye wave. Which was a bit rude of him, in her opinion.

 

“So, I’m told you requested my presence and my presence only.” Jenna’s voice was smooth, her eyes gliding up and down both of them in turn but her expression not so much as twitching. Jester just let her smile settle while Beau visibly bristled, seeming kind of uncomfortable in this entire district. Mostly when people stared.

 

“Yes! We need clothes for a very important event.” Jester beamed. Beau simply pulled out the business card that the Gentleman had given her, holding it out in front of Jenna, who took it in one smooth movement and read the message on the back.

 

“Oh. I see.” She paused for a moment, giving them a second, more thoughtful glance. “I suppose you don’t have very much coin then.”

 

Jester was prepared to assure her that no, they very much didn’t, but Beau cleared her throat before she could do anything, saying, “No, but we come bearing lots of gifts. Or whatever.”

 

“Charming.” Jenna’s smile grew tighter, and she looked around the store behind Jester and Beau. “Very well, then. Follow me. Any friend of his is a client of mine.”

 

She spun on her heel and began walking towards the back of the store, opening a door and disappearing inside. Jester shared a glance with Beau, one that confirmed that she was just as uncertain about where exactly this was leading as she was. But there was only one way forward, and so they strode ahead, Jester looping her arm around Beau’s as they entered.

 

As it turned out, the door led to a surprisingly large fitting room of sorts, the kind that had a circular podium in the middle for people to model their outfit for those that were with them, and multiple curtained off areas for people to get changed in. Jenna let them walk past her into the main part of the room before closing the door and locking it tightly behind them.

 

“Oh my gosh are you going to murder us?” Jester couldn’t stop the words from escaping her mouth, covering her hand both to stop herself from saying anything else… and to hide the smile on her face.

 

Jenna affixed her with a strange look, while Beau smirked, which faded once she looked at Jenna again.

 

“No. No, I’m not going to murder you.” She frowned, before shaking her head lightly and putting her hands on her hips. “Now, why does the Gentleman need me to dress… people like you?”

 

“He’s sending us to a fancy banquet, we need clothes.” Beau said, gesturing vaguely at herself. “This is approximately thirty percent of my entire wardrobe right here.”

 

“You have very pretty dresses here, by the way,” Jester said, leaning forwards a little. “Do they work for tieflings?”

 

“Er, thank you. And yes, some of them will.” Jenna paused, seeming to give Jester another long glance. “Are you two supposed to be inconspicuous at this event?”

 

Jester and Beau looked at each other for a moment, Jester waiting for Beau to say something. Eventually, she just shrugged before turning back to Jenna. “I think that’s something for us to worry about, not you.”

 

One of Jenna’s eyebrows arched so high Jester thought it might fly off of her head if it rose any further, which was a very funny thing to imagine. But she said nothing else in response, muttering something under her breath before clapping her hands together once. “Your funerals then! Hopefully, you won’t damage your dresses. Now let’s get started.”

 

“A dress?” Beau interjected, before shutting up quickly, her mouth twisting like she regretted speaking. Jester blinked, distantly realising that she’d never seen Beau wear a dress. Or a skirt, for that matter. She supposed she’d always ascribed that to jeans and pants just being more practical.

 

Jenna shot her a withering look. “Not… necessarily, a dress. What did you have in mind?”

 

Beau didn’t say anything for a few moments, her face hardened. “I… I’m not sure. Something that isn’t a dress.”

 

“Excellent detail.” Jenna said, not even bothering to hide the sarcasm. Jester frowned but smoothed it away as Jenna turned to look at her. “What about you? A dress, or something else?”

 

“Oh, a dress, definitely!” An idea popped into Jester’s head, and she glanced at Beau again, before turning her attention back to Jenna. “Preferably one that’s like, blue, and comes down to here, and has fabric that’s really, really soft, but lets my tail move around lots and has a zipper so I don’t need to pull it over my head, and maybe a matching hat?”

 

She took a breath, prepared to keep going, but Jenna quickly interrupted, what was left of her forced smile swiftly draining away. “Alright. Okay. I will see what I can do. Just excuse me.”

 

She left the room before either of them could say anything else, this time leaving the door unlocked. Jester huffed to herself at the space where the woman had been standing, before looking to Beau. “She seems like a bit of a bitch, actually.”

 

Beau snorted, pulling her hands out of her pocket where they had been buried. “Yeah. Most rich people are, in my experience.”

 

“Do you know lots of rich people?” Jester asked. From lots of things Beau had said, she’d got a sense that Beau knew things about upper-class people and their society, things that made them tick. But Beau had never seemed like the kind of girl who would be rich. It was kind of hard to imagine her as rich, actually. Not when she’d insisted that the duct tape that was holding her shoes together was totally fine and they didn’t need more.

 

There was a short silence before Beau inhaled quietly, exhaled, and then answered. “Ah, yeah. My parents are pretty wealthy, actually. They own vineyards and things, out west. It’s how they paid to send me to fancy delinquent boarding school.” She rolled her eyes at that last sentence but something about it seemed a little off, like she was trying to distract Jester from something.

 

“Oh. That’s cool. Did you have a big house when you grew up?” Jester asked, leaning her weight onto the balls of her feet, wringing her hands behind her back.

 

“Pretty big. They’re not like, billionaires or anything.” Beau said quickly, lest Jester somehow get the wrong idea. “Just… kinda rich, I guess.”

 

Jester nodded along with that, figuring that was probably the kind of bracket that her own mother fell into. They were comfortable, quite comfortable in fact, but not exactly living in mansions.

 

But that idea certainly didn’t fit with the Beau that Jester had met so many months ago. _Jester_ hadn’t had much money because it had been dangerous for her Mama to make lots of withdrawals while the police and people were still watching her, and Fjord didn’t have much money to begin with. But if Beau’s parents were rich… why had Beau been so poor for so long? Why had she run away from the boarding school?

 

She thought about what had happened at the end of Horisal when Beau had been worried they’d kick her out on her own. She’d said she’d never had… something, someone like them before. Someone who _wouldn’t_ do that to her.

 

Jester wondered distantly what that meant about Beau’s parents, and thinking about that for more than a moment just made her heart twist itself into knots.

 

While she’d been thinking about it, the two of them had settled into a loose, awkward silence, only broken when the door opened once again to reveal Jenna, wheeling in a long rack full of clothes, all different styles, shapes and colours. A timid assistant followed her, a young half-elf woman with brown skin and clean dark hair. Jester’s eyes widened at the sigh, and Jenna parked the rack up against a wall with a satisfied huff, going to close the door again before turning to them.

 

“We had best get started then.”

 

What followed left almost no room for thinking too hard about other things at all. Jenna told the assistant to try and find some kind of clothes for Beau to wear, while Jenna herself took another long look at Jester. But this one was appraising, judging but not judgemental, as if she were a painter surveying a landscape.

 

Feeling a bit like a model on display, Jester figured she might as well strike a pose. Jenna hardly seemed to notice, but looking over her shoulder she could see Beau smothering a wry grin.

 

Snapping her fingers, Jenna spun on her heel and walked over to the rack, pulling out a green sleeveless dress. “Alright. Try this one first. I shall see what I am working with.”

 

Once she had the dress on (which was a surprisingly good fit since Jenna hadn’t so much as asked for her dress size) Jenna got her to turn around, lift her arms, wiggle her tail around underneath the fabric. Then she got her to get out of it, already handing her another one to put on.

 

This repeated quite a few times, with all kinds of different dresses from full-on ballgowns to ones that only came up to her knees to others that hugged at her form and others that felt baggier than a plastic bag.

 

From what she could tell on Beau’s side of the room, she seemed to be in a very complex argument with the assistant over the necessity of having the buttons on her shirt completely done up at a formal event. It was hard to tell who was winning.

 

“Do _I_ get to pick a dress to wear?” Jester complained after the fourth dress or so, and Jenna shot her a look before rummaging through the dress rack, pulling out some dresses and rearranging them.

 

“Patience is one of the most important parts of selecting clothes.” She said. “But yes, you will. Excuse me.”

 

She breezed out of the room, leaving Jester standing on the big circle platform in a dress that was barely comfortable. Huffing, Jester shimmied out of it, laying it over a chair where it probably wouldn’t wrinkle or anything, leaving her in her undergarments.

 

“This is _not_ as cool as I thought it would be.” She said aloud, planting her hands on her hips.

 

Beau looked up in her direction a moment, an irritated look on her face dropping away. “Tell me about it. I don’t even remember what half this shit means.”

 

The assistant that was supposed to be helping Beau audibly grumbled, looking like she wanted to throw the two near-identical suit jackets she was holding. “It would be easier if you would actually try it on!”

 

Beau groaned, finally snatching one of the shirts after shooting Jester a suitably disgusted scowl and pulling off her jacket and shirt, leaving her jeans on and revealing her sports bra and tight, defined muscles.

 

Jester watched for a little while, admiring her abs not for the first time. They were just so nice to look at. From an anatomical perspective of course. And maybe also because they were kinda attractive in a totally normal, one cute girl admiring another cute girl way. But mostly anatomy. Yeah.

 

Beau sighed once the shirt was on, buttoning up only about half the buttons before holding up her arms and staring at the assistant. “Happy?”

 

The assistant frowned, folding her arms and not even pretending to be enjoying this.

 

“I think it looks very handsome, Beau!” Jester said from where she was standing.

 

“Thanks, Jes.” Beau said, her scowl shifting into a little more of a smug smirk. “Alright, fine, what else have you got?”

 

Jenna walked back in at that moment with another armful of dresses, hanging them up on the rack and beckoning Jester to come over to her.

 

“Here. Obviously your tail is an issue but these dresses should all have high-enough waists to counter that, and you could always get them tailored, but that would be on your dime, not mine.” She shot Jester a serious look, gesturing to the collection of approved dresses.

 

Perking up at the possibility of actually choosing what to try on, Jester only barely paid attention to whatever else it was she said, already rummaging through the dresses and picking out the first one that caught her eye.

 

She tried on dress after dress after that, pulling them on and admiring herself in the mirrors that lined one of the walls, spinning around and striking poses for Beau, who seemed to be relaxing a little bit as time went on, perhaps finding something to enjoy in the whole process herself.

 

Now that she wasn’t feeling so much like a doll, able to pick out what she wanted, it was so much more freeing, the dresses themselves feeling so much nicer and more beautiful. She tried on ball gowns, mermaid dresses, ones that flared out in wide skirts and others that seemed to make her half her regular size. Jenna watched and would give a few critiques for each one, occasionally calling out to her assistant to make sure that whatever Beau wore would match.

 

Finally, she found one that she _knew_ was going to be perfect. It was a floor-length gown made of tulle, the waistline hugging tight high on her torso, well above the point where it would be pressing on any part of her tail, and if she wrapped it around her leg, you probably wouldn’t be able to tell she had one at all. It was sleeveless, the neckline ending just in the middle of her sternum. The fabric started at a soft candy pink, almost cream colour at the bottom of the dress, fading up into a slightly darker pink as it hit the waist, then staying that colour for the top of the dress. The dress almost seemed to shimmer whenever she twirled, catching the bright light of the fitting room as she rocked her hips from side to side, grinning as the fabric swayed.

 

“Beau! Beau, look at this one!” She struck a suitably dramatic pose when Beau looked, hoping she looked as impressive and beautiful as she felt. It was so much fun, it was easy to forget that she was going to be committing multiple crimes while wearing this dress.

 

There was a short silence, and Jester opened her eyes to see Beau looking at her blankly, her eyes travelling down from her feet up to her head, before she seemed to catch herself, gaze flickering away for a moment before she looked back. “Wow, Jes, that looks great.”

 

“I know, you were just struck _speechless_ at how super pretty I look.” Jester teased, grinning and looking back at herself in the mirrors.

 

“Heh… yeah. Can’t wait til you’re actually in makeup and everything.” Beau’s voice seemed to almost squeak a little, as if she hadn’t quite considered that getting even more dressed up was going to be part of the equation. Or at least, that hadn’t really sunk in until now. Not that Jester noticed, having caught the word ‘makeup’ and promptly realising she hardly had _any_ makeup.

 

“Omigosh! We need makeup!” Jester exclaimed, clapping her hands over her face. “And our hair! What will we do about our hair?”

 

“I, for one, am going to brush my hair and call it a day.” Beau drawled, trying to get her legs into some fancy suit pants.

 

“Oh, Beau, maybe I could put a braid in it! That would look super fancy, don’t you think?” Jester asked, running her fingers through her own hair and wishing it were long enough to do a really nice braid in. Maybe she should grow it out.

 

“You like this one then?” Jenna interrupted her thoughts, stepping in front of her with a thoughtful finger on her lips. “Yes, this will suit. You said it was a banquet?”

 

“Charity banquet,” Beau said from across the room.

 

“Yes, this will work, then. A proper ball gown may have been a bit much…” Jenna mused, before snapping a finger. “Anais?”

 

The assistant, who must have been named Anais, sighed, laden down with shirts and pants, and looked at Beau. “Is _this_ suitable for you?”

 

Beau was wearing some dark navy suit pants and matching suit vest, with an off-white dress shirt underneath. There was no tie or anything else to go with it that Jester could see, but she thought that Beau looked rather dashing anyway. She’d never seen many women wearing suits or things like that at fancy events before, but Beau made it look very appealing.

 

“Yeah, this is good,” Beau said, flashing Jester a wry smile when she caught her looking. Anais breathed a sigh of relief, nodding over to Jenna.

 

“Excellent.” Jenna did not extremely enthused. “Finally. Anais, if you could please take the rest of these items out, and bring in some of the shoes.”

 

“Shoes?” Jester asked. Jenna frowned at her, and when she spoke, it was almost through gritted teeth.

 

“Yes. Shoes. Unless you plan to attend this event in flip flops?”

 

Thankfully, picking shoes was a far simpler process than picking a dress had been, with Jenna measuring their foot sizes, collecting a few pairs of shoes that would fit and match their clothes, and letting them pick whichever they liked best from the bunch. Beau picked out some simple dark navy dress shoes that she deemed the most comfortable, while Jester selected a glittering pair of chunky high heels, ones that were still relatively easy to walk in, but made her nearly an inch taller than Beau, much to both of their amusement.

 

“There. I think our business here is concluded then.” Jenna said, once again bustling Anais out of the room with all the rejected shoes. “I’ll get those packed up for you once you’re ready.”

 

“Thank you!” Jester said.

 

“If I can ask, why _do_ you do this for the Gentleman?” Beau asked, her head tilted slightly and not yet making a move to get undressed. “What do you get out of it?”

 

Jenna paused, an indecipherable look passing over her face before she fixed her gaze on Beau, a smile plastered on her face. “He’s quite a good friend of mine. I’m happy to help if he needs it.” She spoke smoothly, humming to herself before clearing her throat. “In any case, I need to go make sure my store hasn’t collapsed without me. Do try not to dawdle.”

 

As soon as she turned her back to leave Jester saw Beau roll her eyes, before turning away herself and beginning to get changed.

 

“That was fun,” Jester said, half-teasing and half-serious, carefully draping her dress over a chair to keep it safe until Jenna came back to pack it away.

 

“It was a bit,” Beau admitted after a few moments. “Maybe she and the Gentleman are dating.”

 

Jester snorted, covering her mouth to try and keep her laughter contained. “That would be so crazy! And romantic.”

 

“Ah yes, the classic love story between a gang leader and a fashion designer. How could I have forgotten.”

 

Jester was still chuckling even when Jenna returned to collect their clothes and pack them away into boxes and bags, ushering them both towards the exit as soon as she could.

 

“Send my regards.” She said, before closing the door behind them.

 

Jester and Beau stood in front of the store with their bags, looking at each other before cracking smiles.

 

“C’mon!” Jester said, already skipping down along the sidewalk. “Let’s take the subway home!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> backstory!!! get your backstory here!!! A dose of foreshadowing even!!! Some chekhov's guns!!! 
> 
> and also jester admiring beau's abs   
> she's an artist it's called appreciating the human body 
> 
> also as an australian calling them 'flip flops' physically hurt me 
> 
> also also 100k ayyyyyyyyy


	33. Beau 16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: In preparation for their upcoming job for the Gentleman, Beau and Jester need to get some nicer clothes, directed to a shop named Jenna's to seek the help of it's owner, the titular Jenna. Jester is very enthusiastic while Beau isn't as much, and picking out dresses and shoes and suits turns out to be a more complicated experience than either of them were imagining, but they manage to survive, leaving the store with clothes in hand.

Beau hadn’t really considered the implications of Jester being her plus one to a charity banquet until one night over dinner where Jester had been gushing about the event, as she had done for every night and would continue to do so until it was over, and perhaps not even then.

 

“It could be like me and Beau pretending to be a couple and be super romantic, wouldn’t that be fun?” Jester had said, turning to Beau with complete and utter innocence.

 

Beau promptly choked on the piece of meat she’d been eating, Jester and Fjord watching with varying degrees of concern and confusion as she hacked her lungs out. “ _Wh-_ Wh a t?”

 

“Are you alright?” Fjord asked with one eyebrow raised.

 

“Yeah-” Beau wheezed, taking a long, long drink of water. “Fantastic.”

 

“That must have really gone down the wrong hole,” Jester said, a beat passing before she began to giggle at herself. “You know, the ones in your throat.”

 

“I got it.” Beau held a hand over her chest. “I’m sorry, what did you say before?”

 

“Oh, I was just saying how funny it would be if you and I pretended to be like, super hot lovers at the banquet. I saw people do that in a movie once, it was _so_ cool.” Jester said, grinning. “You know, cause usually people take like, their husbands or boyfriends or whatever to parties as their plus ones.”

 

“Ah. Yeah.” Beau was thankful that blushing didn’t show up as well as it might have if her skin were paler, because she could already feel her entire face heat up at the concept of pretending to be… romantically involved with Jester.

 

Oh, gods.

 

That would _not_ exactly be following her ‘pretend everything is normal and never, ever do anything that could potentially mess with her already perfectly amazing friendship with Jester’ plan. Doing that would just be an easy recipe for her losing her mind imagining what she didn’t want to risk going for.

 

On the other hand… perhaps she’d be able to get a taste of the best of both worlds.

 

“Do you-” She hesitated, clearing her throat again and trying to pass it off as the aftereffects of nearly choking. “Do you _want_ to do something like that?”

 

Jester’s eyes lit up, and Beau already knew she was a goner.

 

“Really? That would be so much fun!” She squealed, pumping her hands in the air. “Can we?”

 

“It would save having to come up with a complicated reason for Jester to come along if she’s just your partner.” Fjord was blissfully oblivious to Beau’s plight, shrugging his shoulders and eating his dinner.

 

“Sure, yeah. Totally. We can do that. Easy.” Beau said.

 

She was an idiot. She was a genius. This was a terrible, amazing idea. 

 

Shit.

 

“Okay, okay, okay, wait. Should we pretend to be like, completely married? We could borrow rings from Nott, maybe! Or ask Yasha and Zuala for advice!” Jester’s cutlery clattered down to her plate, her dinner all but forgotten. “ _Or,_ we could just pretend to be girlfriends, and I can tell everyone how we met on the beach in Nicodranas and it was super romantic~”

 

Pretend to be Jester’s girlfriend. Or wife. Both of those made Beau’s stomach twist into knots. At least she wouldn’t have to _pretend_ to be in love. She could just walk around, introduce Jester as her girlfriend and try to hide the way her heart would explode, the voice in the back of her head whispering that no matter how amazing that might feel, it _couldn_ ’ _t_ actually happen.

 

Having Jester as her friend was already perfect. Anything else was just another leap off a bridge, and she’d leaped off far too many bridges in her life. She couldn’t risk it, not for real.

 

But maybe pretending for a day wouldn’t be so bad. Jester was the one who had suggested it, so she obviously had no qualms. The glimmer in her eyes when she said the word ‘pretend’ suggested that Jester probably had nothing even _close_ to anything but platonic feelings for Beau, which was fine.

 

Jester would get to live out a day in the life of some spy movie she’d seen, and Beau would get a glimpse of a future that she knew was otherwise locked away, never to be looked at.

 

She could do that.

 

She even found herself looking forward to it, joking around with Jester about what their cover story would be, the kind of domestic tales they could use to make small talk with other boring rich people. Most of them were just things that had already happened to them, just gussied up so they didn’t sound like two poor people that lived in a poorer apartment building, and tossing in some fake romantic revelations and romance. Rinse and repeat.

 

When the day actually arrived, Beau couldn’t remember the last time she’d been so excited for an actual job.

 

Jester could hardly stay still for longer than a second for most of the day, and her enthusiasm was infectious. Nott, Yasha, and Zuala all arrived at once point, theoretically to help but really just hanging out and enjoying the build-up for themselves. Well, Yasha spent most of her time braiding Zuala’s hair, but the other two were very excited, offering to help Jester with her hair or makeup or something else.

 

Beau, for the most part, got ready by herself. They both got changed in their bedroom but after that Jester and the others more or less swarmed the bathroom, pooling together all the hair and makeup supplies they collectively owned to see what they could pull together, while Beau, true to what she’d said at the clothings store, simply brushed her hair through, tied it up in a neater bun than usual, and went out to the living room for wait for Jester to get ready.

 

Fjord was sitting on his couch with a cup of coffee in his hands, completely unperturbed by the noise and laughter coming from the bathroom.

 

“You’re all ready?” He asked as she walked in, and Beau shrugged loosely, sticking her hands in the stiff pockets of the brand new dress pants. “Think you’re fancy enough for the rich people?”

 

Beau snorted. “I don’t think I’d ever be able to be fancy enough for them. Wouldn’t want to.”

 

“Well, I hope you have fun.” Fjord said, taking a sip.

 

“I’ll have you know this is a very serious mission which could potentially involve highly sensitive illegal information.” Beau stuck her nose in the air, folding her arms. Fjord barked out a short laugh.

 

“Oh yeah, sure. Make sure you tell Jester that, alright?”

 

They exchanged grins, and Beau felt some of the tension bleeding from her shoulder. Was she nervous? Surely not.

 

Fjord continued talking after a few moments of silence, looking at Beau with an oddly solemn expression. “You’ll be careful, right? Take care of her?”

 

The serious tinge to his voice threw her off, and Beau frowned, not even thinking before saying the first thing that popped into her head. “You sound like someone’s dad.”

 

The corner of Fjord’s mouth quirked upwards for a moment before smoothing out again, and he scratched the back of his neck, gaze flickering away.

 

“I don’t know. I trust you to be able to handle yourself, and Jester’s plenty capable, but she’s not in your gang. She’s not exactly a master criminal.” Fjord sighed, frowning a little. “From what you’ve said this doesn’t sound particularly dangerous... just be mindful, alright?”

 

Beau glanced in the direction of the hallway, Jester’s laugh muffled but audible. She looked back at Fjord, cracking a smile.

 

“Don’t worry. The most dangerous thing she’ll have to do is keep our cover story straight. Something goes wrong, I’ll jump out a window and she can run away in the chaos.”

 

“That is not particularly comforting,” Fjord said dryly, glaring her down for a second. “I just don’t want to have to bail the both of you out of jail tomorrow. That will be expensive.”

 

Beau smirked, waving a dismissive hand. “As if I’d let the police take me alive.”

 

“That is even _less_ comforting.”

 

“Fjord, bro, don’t worry. We got this.” She flashed her cockiest grin and some finger-guns just for good measure, clicking her tongue and turning on her heel to go check on how Jester was doing.

 

Fjord just sighed, taking a long drink of his coffee.

 

Beau didn’t bother knocking on the bathroom door, cracking it open and taking a look inside. Jester was standing in front of the mirror trying to put lipstick on, while Nott was very carefully threading fine silver chains through her hair, almost like a circlet than ran around her head, connecting parts of it down to her earrings. Zuala seemed to be playing cheerleader for Jester while Yasha wasn’t actually there anymore.

 

But what was most striking, was that Jester didn’t look like Jester anymore. She was wearing the dress that she had bought, and her hair was the same style, and she was the same general shape that Beau recognised, but rather than the soft blue skin dotted with freckles on her shoulders and cheeks that Beau sometimes counted when she woke up early in the morning and Jester was still asleep, her skin was pale and fair, her freckles a more ordinary-looking light brown. Her hair had darkened to an almost jet black, and her horns were entirely invisible, her ears the shape of an average human’s.

 

“Woah,” Beau said, blinking in surprise.

 

Jester turned to face Beau, her face lighting up. “Beau! Look, isn’t this cool?”

 

“Holy shit, yeah, what did you do?” Beau asked, realising that Jester’s eyes were still the same colour, a rich, deep purple. “You look like a human!”

 

Jester grinned widely, the dimples in her cheek completely familiar despite the disguise. “Magic! The Traveller showed me how to do it! It only lasts like, an hour, but he said if I’m very careful I’ll be able to do it a few times.”

 

“That’s incredible.” Beau’s eyes were wide, stepping into the bathroom properly and looking at Jester closely. “Did you make your horns just vanish?”

 

Jester reached a hand up to the top of her head, seeming to tap thin air, but Beau heard a light rapping sound. “Nope! They’re still there, just invisible. I’m not disguising my tail, though, cause it’s hidden under my dress anyway.”

 

“It’s very cool,” Zuala said. “There’s so much magic in Zadash, it’s amazing.”

 

“Yeah, cool if you don’t mind a million legal loopholes if you want to actually use it freely.” Nott drawled and rolled her eyes.

 

“That’s why you have to be sneaky!” Jester said, winking.

 

Beau grinned, before looking around the bathroom again and remembering that there had been more people than this in here at some point.

 

“Where’d Yasha go?” Beau asked, looking around as if there might have been somewhere for the woman to hide in their tiny-ass bathroom. 

 

“She had to go get ready for work,” Zuala said. “I’ll have to leave soon too.”

 

Jester suddenly gasped, hovering a hand over her mouth but not covering it completely. “You haven’t done your makeup yet!”

 

“Oh? Oh, no, I fixed up my eyeliner, I’m good.” Beau said quickly, pointing out her eyes. She didn’t do wings often on her eyeliner, but tonight they were looking _good_.

 

“Just eyeliner?” Jester asked, tilting her head a little. “I could help you if you want.”

 

Beau held up her hands placatingly, even if a part of her screamed at the thought of Jester applying her makeup. “Really, it’s fine. I’ve never been big on makeup.”

 

Jester pursed her lips for a moment. “If you’re sure…”

 

“What about your hair? Are you going to do anything else with it?” Nott asked, looking Beau up and down with a critical eye. “This _is_ supposed to be super fancy, isn’t it?”

 

“Yeah! Beau, I could braid it for you! Nott, Nott, you can finish my lipstick, right?” Jester clapped her hands together, shoving her lipstick into Nott’s hands and pulling Beau by the wrists into the bathroom properly. “Hang on- I need to find a stool or something.”

 

Before Beau knew it, she was sitting down on a stool facing the mirror — which only caught the top half of her face -- with Jester behind her undoing her hair, brushing it through and gently separating a small section into three chunks, while Nott simultaneously tried to finish off Jester's lipstick. Zuala finished off Jester’s hair where Nott had left off, tucking a few loose strands behind her ears.

 

Jester’s fingers were quick and sure, barely a hair out of place as she wove a single braid along one side of her head, just along the border between the shaved part of her head and her actual hair. Then she pulled all of it into a bun, the braid still travelling through it, twirling the hair around the hairband Beau had been using to cover it up, and finally attaching it firmly with a few bobby pins.

 

Beau tried to stay completely still while she worked, hardly listening to the casual chatter that Nott and Zuala kept up. It made her feel like a teenager, getting ready for a party with all the friends she'd never had, gossiping about what boys were going to be there and how late they'd be able to sneak back home. When it was done Jester took a step back to admire her handiwork, finally breaking out into a smile. “There! Absolutely beautiful!”

 

Beau ran a hand along the braid, while Nott and Zuala both voiced their approval. “Thanks, Jes.”

 

Jester beamed, pulling Beau to her feet by the hand. “We’re all ready then! Let’s go!”

 

Saying goodbye and collecting good lucks from those in the apartment (and momentarily scaring the daylights out of Fjord when Jester walked out looking like an entirely different person, much to the amusement of all of them except Fjord himself), Beau and Jester descended to the ground floor hand in hand, waiting for the rideshare car that was going to take them to the Evening Nip, where a proper car with a driver was going to be waiting.

 

“An exciting night planned?” Their driver asked, his voice pleasant and clearly just looking to make small talk.

 

“An _amazing_ night!” Jester, unsurprisingly, was happy to engage, chattering away with the driver about how they were going to a super cool party at the Evening Nip and it was going to be exciting and yes people definitely actually hung out there, what have you heard?

 

Beau let her talk, the anticipation and anxiety all rumbling around inside her body, flaring up like bolts of electricity in a thunderstorm. By the time they got to the Evening Nip, it was a hurricane.

 

One of the Gentleman’s lackeys, a man that Beau vaguely recognised from seeing him speaking to the Gentleman a few times, was waiting just inside the Evening Nip when they walked in, flagging them down and beckoning them over to a table. Jester linked her arm with Beau’s, shuffling in a little closer to her as they walked.

 

“Beau, right?” The man said as they approached, one eyebrow raised and not sounding like he cared too much. He looked at Jester with a critical eye. “Who’s this?”

 

“Oh, I’m Josephina~ It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Jester grinned and held out a hand as if waiting for the man to kiss it, shooting Beau a triumphant look.

 

“She’s a friend of mine,” Beau said blandly.

 

The man stared at Jester’s offered hand for a minute, before looking back at Beau. “Riiiiight.” He said, sneering. “Your car will be up in a few seconds. Text when you need to be picked up, and you’ll be dropped off back here.”

 

He regarded them both again for a moment before standing up and beginning to head towards the back of the bar. “Good luck.”

 

Once he was gone, Jester huffed, her lower lip jutting out slightly. “That was a bit _rude_.”

 

“Yeah, he’s a dick.” Beau agreed, straightening out her suit vest. “C’mon, let’s go sit by the window til the car gets here.”

 

Their car turned out to a rather fancy long black car, just short of being able to be considered a limousine, but something that no one would raise an eyebrow at appearing to drop off two attendees to a high-class charity banquet, which was exactly what they wanted.

 

This driver didn’t say a word to them, barely giving them a second glance through the rearview mirror as they climbed in, a glass barrier between him and them. They began driving through town, slowly weaving their way towards more expensive-looking streets, towards the hotel in the Tri-Spires where the banquet was going to take place, the Pillow Trove. Only the best for these people.

 

Beau was content to sit in silence and try to stop her heart from beating so quickly, only to realise that Jester had shuffled a little closer towards her, her fingers intertwining with Beau’s. For a heartbeat, she froze, staring down at their hands now locked together, before she looked up at Jester, not daring to wonder why she’d done it.

 

“It’s so exciting, right?” Jester whispered, wiggling even closer in her seat, seatbelts be damned.

 

Tension in her shoulders bled away, and Beau felt like she could breathe again. Jester was just excited. She was a tactile person in general, Beau should be used to this. Should be.

 

She smiled, leaning in towards Jester and whispering back, “Yeah, it is.”

 

“I hope I don’t forget anything.”

 

“You won’t. You’ll do great.” Beau reassured her, squeezing her hand. “To be honest, you fit the part far better than I do. No one will suspect a thing with you.”

 

There was a small, soft smile on Jester’s face, and then a thought seemed to cross her mind, her eyes widening a little before she pulled her hand away from Beau’s, tugging one of the rings (some her own, some borrowed from Nott) off of her finger.

 

“Here. You really should be wearing a ring, I think.” Jester’s smile was somewhere between fond and teasing, taking Beau’s right hand and slipping the ring onto her middle finger. Not her ring finger. “Fancy rich people always wear rings.”

 

Beau looked down at the ring, a simple silver band with tiny blue gems dotted around it. Looking at Jester’s wrist, Beau could see a matching bracelet amongst the other bracelets Jester was wearing, most of them to help distract attention from the symbol of the Traveller that hung as a charm from one of them, which Jester hadn’t wanted to leave behind or hide away if she could help it.

 

“Thanks,” Beau whispered, feeling her heart swell, her mind torn between pure elation and absolute panic because _really? How is she supposed to kill these romantic feelings if she’s accepting_ rings _from Jester now?_

 

She didn’t let any of it slip onto her face, just adjusting the ring on her finger and taking Jester’s hand in hers again.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fellas is it gay to accept a ring from your best friend that you have a crush on while you're both going to a fancy banquet where you intend to pretend to be romantically involved-


	34. Jester 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau and Jester get ready for the banquet, Fjord tries to give some kind of pep talk, and Yasha braided Zuala's hair. Softness.

The Pillow Trove was tall, even taller than the Lavish Chateau, and it was newly renovated, their car driving around not just one but two fountains to pull up in front of an enormous entrance way lined by carved pillars. In a word, it was grand. Almost obnoxiously so. 

 

Jester looked through the window with wide eyes, the tip of her nose pressed against the glass. 

 

“It's  _ huge _ !” She whispered, unsure of why she was whispering. “I didn't think it would be that big. Or fancy.”

 

“Even fancier than back home?” Beau was leaning back in her seat, fiddling with the ring on her finger.

 

“Fancy in… a different way.” Jester said, watching some well-dressed people laughing at something as they walked inside. “The Lavish Chateau is cozy. This is just… big.” 

 

“You nervous?” Beau asked, and Jester could feel her eyes on the back of her head.

 

Jester wasn’t nervous. At least, she hadn’t been. Biting the inside of her cheek, Jester leant back into her plush leather seat as the car pulled to a stop. “Course not.” 

 

Someone dressed in a carefully pressed suit opened the door on Beau’s side, and Jester’s fingers curled around the fabric of her dress, resisting the urge to ask Beau to stay in the car for just another second. 

 

But then Beau was climbing out and looking back at her with a curious eye, holding out an arm like a prince waiting for his princess. She took it, of course, taking that tiny moment of nerves and scrunching it up into a tiny ball, throwing it into the dark corner of her mind where she tried to fit all her worries. 

 

Beau smiled slightly when she took her arm, finding some kind of delight in leading Jester towards the door with exaggerated flair and making her grin in return.

 

Their invitations were accepted without a second glance, and they followed a small group of well-to-do people there were in turn following one of the many hotel workers up a grand staircase and along carpeted hallways to a banquet hall so large it could fit their entire apartment ten times over. 

 

Another hotel worker checked their invitations again to get their names, checking them off a long and pretentious looking list and nodding to yet another worker, who guided them to their assigned table. 

 

A few other couples were already seated or standing around their table, all glancing up as they approached. Beau pulled out the chair designated for her plus-one, and Jester couldn’t resist a sly smile, whispering, “You never do this for me at home!”

 

Beau smirked, the only outward indication she’d heard her, before leaning in a little closer and whispering back. “You’ve never asked.”

 

Jester covered her mouth to hide her smile, pretending to be busy rearranging her dress in her seat for a moment while Beau straightened up, clearing her throat and seemingly preparing herself for polite introductions. Sure enough, the other occupants of the table were gearing up as well, some standing up if they weren't already and others politely turning towards them. 

 

“I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of seeing you at one of these events before.” A short, curvy human woman was the first to speak, a glass of some kind of red liquid in her hand. She had a warm, genuine smile on her face, and curiosity sparked in her eyes.

 

“Probably because we’ve never had the pleasure of being at one.” Beau said smoothly, holding her hands behind her back. “Not here in Zadash at least.”

 

“You two are from out of town?” A human man stepped forward, wearing a suit that matched the woman who had spoken. He sidestepped around the table towards Beau, holding out a hand to shake. “Ferdinand Hellencia, of Hellencia Law. This is my wife, Diana.” 

 

He nodded towards the woman while Beau shook his hand.

 

“Elizabeth Dearden.” Beau’s fake name (assigned to her by the invitation they’d been given) rolled off her tongue easily, unlike the first dozen or so times she'd practised with Fjord. According to him, it was almost as if Beau was allergic to speaking fancy. She hadn't disagreed, though she had flipped him off. “This is my… partner, Josephina Patton.” 

 

No one seemed to notice the pause before the word ‘partner’, and Jester was quick to jump in, not having to fake her enthusiasm. “And yes, we  _ are _ from out of town. The Menagerie Coast, actually.” 

 

There was a small round of interested murmurs and nods, and Beau cleared her throat. “We’ve lived there together for many years, but I was actually born and raised here in the Empire.”

 

“I thought your accents sounded different.” Diana tapped a finger on the table, a delighted smile on her face. “What brings you all the way home?” 

 

From there it was easy to launch into their fake history that they'd spend a day coming up with, talking about their fictional security company that ‘Elizabeth’ had started in Port Zoon with the support of ‘Josephina’. They’d had success, but hoped to expand, hence their return to ‘Elizabeth’s home turf, to see if setting up a second branch would be a good idea. And to raise money for the community, of course. 

 

Somehow, when the others at their table spoke of their own business or law firms or reasons for their presence at this charity banquet, the actual charity was always the last thing to be mentioned. 

 

Eventually their tablemates ran out of shallow, polite questions to ask, the conversation turning to other topics and some of them drifting away to speak to people they recognised or wanted to make connections with. A server came by with a bottle of wine, pouring glasses for both Beau and Jester and refilling other glasses before whisking away to someone else.

 

Beau picked up the glass and swirled it with a practised ease, while Jester tilted hers slightly from side to side, squinting at it suspiciously. It had been a  _ long  _ time since she'd tried wine, but maybe her tastebuds had changed? Drinking wine was a fancy person thing to do after all. 

 

“What do you think?” She looked to Beau, who had sat down by now. 

 

“Merlot, I reckon.” Beau said vaguely, before taking a small sip and nodding to herself. “Still got it.”

 

Pursing her lips, Jester stared down at the wine again before taking a sip herself and immediately regretting it. “ _ Gross. _ ”

 

“You’re not big on any alcohol, are you?” Beau seemed curious, while Jester put her glass down far away from her. “I thought maybe it was just booze.” 

 

“Booze tastes way worse, to be fair.” Jester said seriously. “But I can drink the wine, it’s fine.” She went to pick up her glass again just to prove it, but Beau put a hand over Jester’s, pushing it back down to the table.

 

“Trust me, if you’re going to make  _ that  _ face every time you take a sip, you’ll blend in better asking a server to bring you a lemonade the next time one comes by. Plenty of people don’t drink, don't force yourself to be uncomfortable.” She said, looking far wiser than usual with her own glass still in her hands.

 

“So you’re totally comfortable right now?” Jester asked, one eyebrow rising.

 

“With you next to me, how could I not be?” Beau said lightly, her gaze flickering away for a moment before returning to Jester. “But no, I’m fine. This is a familiar kind of uncomfortable.” 

 

It wasn't long before all the other occupants of their table had gotten up to socialise before the banquet started properly, which Beau and Jester took as a cue to mingle as well.

 

They wandered over to a table stacked high with champagne glasses, which Jester only  _ barely  _ restrained herself from knocking over. Really, one little burst of Thaumaturgy from a distance and they wouldn't even know it was her! Beau, for her part, totally agreed it  _ would  _ be awesome, if not counterproductive to their goal of remaining lowkey. 

 

“Now what?” Jester asked, swirling her still-full glass of wine.

 

“Now, we listen.” Beau winked conspiratorially, selecting one of the champagne glasses. “And try to avoid the notice of the photographer I saw wandering around.”

 

No stranger to eavesdropping on people that thought they were important, Jester smiled, and the two of them passed some time away by talking absolute nonsense to each other in quiet voices while listening to the conversations of anyone else who came by for a glass of champagne. 

 

In the span of twenty minutes Jester overheard details of no fewer than four affairs, three political scandals due to break in a matter of weeks, and half of a gleefully told story about the petty crimes and subsequent arrest of the son of a bitter rival of the woman telling the story. They stayed there until someone announced that dinner would begin shortly, and everyone should return to their seats, Beau swapping her now empty champagne glass for Jester’s wine glass as they did.

 

“Elizabeth, Josephina, how have you been enjoying the banquet?” Diana asked them as they sat down, while people on a stage at the front of the room bustled to get ready for speeches and toasts before the first meals could be brought out. “As pleasant as the Menagerie Coast, I hope.”

 

“It’s been wonderful!” Jester gushed. “Everything Elizabeth told me it would be!” 

 

“How long have you two been together?” Another woman asked, and Jester smiled slyly in Beau’s direction before launching into their preplanned tale of total and utter romance.

 

Most of it was actually similar to how they’d actually met, except rather than meeting because one of them got stabbed, it was because they both visited the same bar whilst on holiday. Perhaps not quite similar at all, actually. Regardless, they’d worked out almost two dozen random anecdotes and stories of their lives together and their fake security business to entertain the other guests, which Jester put to good use now.  

 

Their tablemates were obviously curious, asking questions about them in between relaying stories of their own exploits, or gossiping about other people in attendance, which Jester and Beau both tried to stoke as much as possible, playing up their ignorance of the exact social structures among the high class in Zadash to get as much information as possible. 

 

Jester found it easy to slip into her role, embellishing her stories and nudging Beau with her elbow and talking with the other women at the table like they'd been friends all their lives while Beau played a more reserved businesswoman, spinning tales of different clients she’d had and the work she’d put in to get her company to where it was now. 

 

And talking about each other? About their romance? That was the most thrilling part of it all. It was like all of Jester’s years spent curled up in her room, reading and rereading the romances that seemed to take her imagination to all the places she was never allowed to see in person were coming in handy, preparing her for this role. 

 

But soon enough, speeches began, and as politician after city worker after random businessperson stood up to speak, meals began to be delivered to tables, conversations becoming a bit more subdued as people focused on their food or what was being said. Jester had to excuse herself once to visit the bathroom and reapply her disguise spell, surprised that so much time had passed already. 

 

After the food had all been served, and every inane speech about how much money had been raised for the charity and how much the speech giver had personally donate out of the goodness of their heart and nothing else had been said, many people began to stand up again, including Beau.

 

“I hate to leave the good company of you all, but there's some people I simply must speak to.” She said, standing up and resting a hand on Jester’s shoulder. “Would you like to join me?” 

 

“I think I’ll stay here for now.” Jester said, shooting Beau a reassuring smile. “Diana and I are having such wonderful conversation.”

 

In truth, she wasn't used to holding onto a spell for so long. It didn't require constant thought to maintain, but it used magic nonetheless, and Jester only had so much of it. The last thing she wanted was to wear herself out so much the spell failed while she was still at the banquet. 

 

She wasn't sure if Beau got all that just from her smile and the slight weariness in her eyes, but Beau nodded regardless, squeezing her shoulder lightly before making her way towards the clusters of people talking business. 

 

She looked back to the others, Diana and a few other women that had decided to stay at their table for the conversation. Right now, all of them were looking at her. 

 

Jester politely cleared her throat, and Diana smiled warmly. “I don’t mean to pry, but I couldn't help but notice that neither of you have a wedding ring yet. Or an engagement ring.” Her tone was light and airy and undeniably curious, and Jester grinned, pressing the tips of her fingers together to show off her hands and their very bare ring fingers.

 

“Oh, not yet.” She suppressed a giggle, the one that always seemed to rise up from her stomach like she'd heard a funny joke whenever someone mentioned the relationship she and Beau were pretending to have. 

 

“Do you think either of you will pop the question soon?” Diana asked. 

 

“How do you decide which one of you will do it?” Another woman asked.

 

Jester preened under the attention, twisting around one of the other rings on her fingers. “I like to think it’ll be a competition. Whichever one of us comes up with the best way to do it first, you know? Though personally, I wouldn't mind being the one proposed  _ to _ . That always seemed the more romantic position, don’t you think?” 

 

There was a small round of agreements, with other woman sharing anecdotes of how long it had taken their husbands and partners to propose and how many hints they'd had to drop. 

 

“Well, if you ever want some wedding advice, I know  _ just  _ the planner. He made sure my wedding was absolutely perfect.” A woman said, quickly launching into (based on the obliging reactions of the others) what was probably not the first time she’d told the story of how her wedding three years ago had gone off without a hitch. 

 

Jester listened politely with the others for a while before she felt a tingling in the tips of her fingers and the base of her spine, hearing a whispered voice from just behind her.

 

_ “The spell is about to run out again, Jester. Be careful.”  _ The Traveller had been enjoying this evening as much as she had, even if the pranks weren’t quite his usual style. But duping and spying on a bunch of rich people could bring all sorts of entertainment if they did it right.

 

Nodding to herself, Jester excused herself from the table, bidding the women goodbye and going to the bathroom where she had reapplied her spell the first time. Releasing the spell in the safety of a locked stall felt like taking in the first breath of fresh air in a long time, and as much as Jester enjoyed her disguise, it was comforting to see her regular blue skin when she looked down at her hands.

 

She took a moment to gather herself, clutching her symbol of the Traveller that hung from the bracelet Beau had made out of her necklace that used to hold the symbol. Jester hadn't even known Beau had been able to do something like that, but she hadn't even blinked, getting flustered when Jester had insisted on showing it to Fjord and all the others. 

 

“ _ I think you’ll only have one more casting of this spell in you tonight after this, Jester.”  _ The Traveller didn’t sound concerned after she cast the spell again, just warning her.

 

Jester didn't really need the warning, able to feel for herself the energy it took from her. It was very rare that she truly exhausted her magical capabilities, but this was a powerful spell. Once she got home, she doubted she'd have any difficulty falling asleep. 

 

“I’ll be alright.” Jester whispered, closing her eyes. “Beau can always carry me home if I fall asleep, that would  _ really  _ sell it.”

 

She heard a faint chuckle on the breeze, and a soft “ _ They would all probably be distracted by how you suddenly turn blue once you fall unconscious.”  _

 

“Nah, I don't think anyone would notice.” Smiling to herself, Jester left the bathroom and headed back to the banquet hall, resisting the urge to rub her eyes and smudge her makeup. Maybe talking to different people would help keep her alert.

 

She looked around for Beau, but between how big the hall was and how many people were standing around, it was difficult to pick out just one person. It didn't help that Beau wasn't exactly very tall, and Jester didn't have the height to look over people either even with her new heels on.

 

So she began weaving her way around clusters of people, catching fragments of conversation and seeing if she could recognise anyone while looking for Beau. It was mostly people from Zadash and the surrounding areas in attendance, but enough of the speakers had made mention of their friends from Rexxuntrum or the Menagerie Coast that Jester knew at least some of them were from Nicodranas as well. 

 

As she looked, she was almost  _ certain  _ she recognised one or two from visits to the Lavish Chateau, where Jester had caught glimpses of people leaving or entering from one of her old hidey holes. 

 

Unfortunately, there was no sign of Beau. Jester was considering pulling out her phone, wondering if making a phone call during such an event was a faux pas or not, when she suddenly realised that someone was calling her name. Her fake name, that is.

 

“Josephina!” She whipped her head around to see Lanahlia, an elven woman from her table that had proven to know something about seemingly anyone with shocking detail. “Oh Josephina, come over here, I want to introduce you to some of my friends!”

 

Casting one final look around for Beau, Jester finally shrugged to herself and headed over. Conversation with strangers would keep her alert, she supposed. Lanahlia beckoned her over to a circle of men and women, all of whom were chuckling to each about some joke.

 

“Many of them are from the Menagerie Coast! I was just telling them about the company your partner owns!” Lanahlia said excitedly, before launching into a list of names and businesses or titles that applied to each one. 

 

Jester paid attention for all of two seconds before her eyes fell on one member of the circle, and suddenly she'd never felt so alert in all her life.

 

He was tall and broad-shoulders, with perfectly trimmed chestnut-brown hair. He had a clean-shaven face, which threw her off for a moment because he’d had stubble before, and his eyes were crinkled with a smile when the last time she'd seen them they'd been swimming with rage and humiliation. 

 

Those eyes fell on her, and there was nothing. No recognition, not even an inkling. 

 

Jester didn't dare take a breath. Of all the people, why was  _ he  _ here?

 

“-Robert and my husband have been good friends for many years.” Lanahlia was chattering away, and Jester tore her eyes away from Robert Sharp, focusing intently on Lanahlia’s earrings dangling as her head bobbed in all sorts of directions. “I was telling him he simply must have heard of your company!”

 

“Indeed I have, though I admit I haven't had the chance to call on its services yet.” Sharp chuckled, and in any other moment Jester would've had to stifle a laugh at the brazen lie. 

 

Instead, any possible laugh burned the back of her throat because he was looking right at  _ her _ , he was expecting an  _ answer,  _ he was talking to her and he didn't recognise her, not yet.

 

“Oh!” Was all she could manage at first, clearing her throat and trying to seem calm while her heart threatened to burst from her chest. “That's unfortunate. Not that we want you to  _ need  _ security, but- uh-”

 

Sharp chuckled again, good-naturedly, holding up a placating hand that only seemed terrifying to her. “I understand entirely, don't worry. In a perfect world there would be no need for security companies, but as it is, we’re lucky to have some like your partners!” 

 

She had to get out of here. Pretending to be someone she wasn't had never been such a daunting prospect.

 

At any moment she could slip. 

 

At any moment he could  _ realise.  _

 

The knowledge that she was disguised was only a small comfort. Her eyes were the same, what if he recognised her eyes? What if he recognised her face despite the change in skin colour, what if he recognised her hair despite the new colour? What if,  _ what if- _

 

“I couldn't help but notice your accent, are you from Nicodranas as well?” 

 

He was still talking  _ why was he still talking to her she had to get out of here- _

 

“Yes, I am, actually.” Jester said, her eyes flicking around the room. No sign of Beau. “I grew up there.”

 

“It's always wonderful to meet someone from home. To think, perhaps we’ve run into each other before! It's such a small world sometimes.” He seemed so relaxed, but Jester felt like she was pulled tighter than a bow string.

 

Did he know? Was that his subtle way of telling her? Of telling her that he'd realised the truth, he'd seen through her disguise, it was only a matter of time before the police arrived and took her away and then she'd be murdered or trapped in a cell alone forever or  _ worse- _

 

“Yes, it is.” She forced herself to chuckle along with the others, her tail coiling around her leg so tightly she thought she might lose feeling in it soon, one hand in a white-knuckled grip on her purse. “Excuse me, I think I might have left something of mine in the washroom. A-a pleasure to meet you all.” 

 

She smiled and bowed out of the conversation, fully expecting Sharp to stop her, to suddenly freeze and call out for her, or follow her, or something.

 

She didn't look over her shoulder to see if he did. 

 

She just turned and walked as directly out of the banquet hall as she did, walking towards the bathroom and then straight past it, brushing past anyone in her path with barely a word. 

 

One corner, then another, then there was a dead end. 

 

Jester walked to the end of the hall and let out a choked breath, clasping a hand over her mouth to muffle it. 

 

He hadn't recognised her. 

 

He couldn't have recognised her. There was no way. 

 

No way.

 

One of her hands held a fistful of her dress tight, not caring if it crumpled the delicate fabric. 

 

She couldn't hear her own breaths over the sound of her heartbeat pounding in her ears like a band of drums.

 

He hadn't recognised her. 

 

But she couldn't return to that banquet hall. 

 

Letting go of the dress, numb fingers opened her small purse, one of the things she'd been able to take with her from home. From the Lavish Chateau. Would Sharp have been able to recognise that? Would he have had the chance to see it during his disastrous visit? 

 

She didn't want to pretend to be someone else anymore, she didn't want to tell stories of romance. 

 

She wanted to go home. She wanted Beau.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And we're back everybody!!!! 
> 
> This chapter actually ended up very long (nearly 4k!!), way longer than the original was, but I'm quite pleased with how it turned out. My laptop is repaired (tho the data was permanently lost T_T) so I'm back in business!! Yeet yeet 
> 
> Thanks for all the kind comments <3


	35. Beau 17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau and Jester arrive at the banquet and get started on blending in and gossiping. Everything appears to go smoothly, Jester enjoying herself pretending to be Beau's romantic partner and redoing her disguise spell whenever it starts to run out, until an unexpected encounter with the one person in the world she didn't want to meet shakes her, causing her to leave the banquet hall in a panic.

Beau had never enjoyed speaking to businesspeople and dignitaries and politicians at the best of times, but doing it for the express purpose of repeating all their annoying secrets to a criminal later did add a degree of amusement to the whole ordeal. 

 

Still, she had her limits, and it didn't take her long to reach them. Luckily, rich people were so eager to talk and/or complain about other rich people that they didn't like (and even some they did) that she didn't need to talk long to get information that the Gentleman would consider useful. Who was starting a business with who, who was planning to back who in the next election, who were secretly sleeping together, all that fun stuff. 

 

After escaping a gaggle of Zadash City Council members (who at least didn’t seem as annoying or potentially corrupt as Onezza had been) she hoped to return to her table to see if Jester wanted to stuff a bunch of canapés, bread rolls and caviar into her purse before they blew the joint, but Jester wasn't there. According to the ladies still at the table, she hadn't been there for a while. 

 

One woman, the wife of one of the City Council members she’d just been talking to if Beau wasn't mistaken, reported seeing her talking to a collection of random people, but when Beau took a quick look over at the group pointed out to her, she didn't see Jester among them. 

 

She was about to start properly searching when she felt a buzz in her pocket. Seeing Jester’s picture in the caller ID brought a curious relief, but when she started talking, all relief drained out of her in an instant. 

 

“Beau?” Jester sounded quiet. Quiet and afraid, the former something Beau had only rarely heard from her, and the latter almost never. 

 

“Jes, are you alright?” Beau glanced around to see if anyone was looking at her before leaving the banquet hall. The fewer that could possibly overhear, the better. “Where are you?”

 

“I left the hall. I took some turns, I-I’m sorry, I interrupted your spying things.”

 

“No, I’m done with that, it doesn't matter, can you tell me where you are?” Possibilities were swarming in Beau’s head, but they were overwhelmed by her worry, her nerves that had sprung up in an instant.

 

“Um, past the bathroom. Then I turned and turned and- maybe I turned again I’m not sure actually-” Jester’s words blended together a little over the phone, and it was hard to say if the phone was also responsible for how shaky they sounded, but Beau gritted her teeth together and walked past the bathroom. 

 

“I’ll come find you, Jes, don’t worry.” 

 

She took the first turn she found, then the first turn around that, then peeked around the corner of the next one. She almost didn't see Jester, nearly kept on walking before she realised that she was sitting on the ground against the wall, still wearing her disguise with her legs pulled up to her chest under her dress. 

 

“Jester…” Beau jogged up to her, kneeling down next to her and putting a hand on her shoulder, looking for some sign of injury or any kind of clue as to what had happened. 

 

She didn't seem hurt, and she wasn't crying, not yet. She looked up at Beau with shimmering eyes before throwing her arms around her waist, burying her face into Beau’s chest. For a moment she stiffened up out of surprise more than anything, before snaking her arms around Jester and hugging her back, dying to ask questions but uncertain if it was a good idea.

 

The hug lasted for a long few seconds, and Beau could feel Jester gripping onto Beau’s clothes like a lifeline before eventually releasing, leaning back and looking embarrassed. “I’m sorry- I overreacted, I think, I-”

 

“It’s okay, Jes,” Beau said, and Jester’s eyes flickered away, fixing on a random spot on the plush carpet. “Do you wanna go home?” 

 

“The banquet isn't over yet.” In person, Jester’s voice just sounded soft and uncertain, and Beau was reeling. Things had been going great when she'd seen her last. What could have happened?

 

“I've got plenty of gossip from the banquet, we don't need to stay.” Beau took Jester’s hand. “I was getting tired of rich people anyway. Do you want to go?”

 

There was a silence, and then Jester nodded, still not looking at her. 

 

“Okay, let's go.” 

 

Jester didn't say anything on the way home, so Beau didn't say anything either. She called for a rideshare car rather than the Gentleman’s car, because that one would just take her straight to the Evening Nip for a debrief, and getting stuck waiting around there was the last thing Beau wanted at that moment. Instead, they went straight home, Jester tucked into Beau’s side.

 

It was barely midnight when they got there, their apartment empty and waiting. Jester’s disguise had dropped at some point along the way home, and seeing her true self so subdued just made Beau worry more.

 

Jester didn't protest when Beau guided her to their bed, sitting down on the end side by side.

 

She didn't know where she was supposed to start. But she had to say something. 

 

“Are you hurt?” Beau was pretty sure she wasn't, but Jester’s loose shake of the head assuaged one worry at least. “Did someone say something?”

 

Jester breathed in sharply, squeezing her eyes shut before opening them. “You remember how I can't go back to Nicodranas, right? Because I'm, like, a total fugitive and everything.” 

 

“Yeah…” 

 

“Well, uh, I don't know if I ever told you about the politician that I pranked really good? His name’s Robert Sharp.” 

 

“Oh shit.” Beau’s eyes widened. She hadn't spoken with the man personally but she'd heard him mentioned as being among the crowd, overheard a couple of people slyly mentioning some ‘incident’ that had made them all chuckle. She hadn't made the connection, not until now. “Did he see you?”

 

“He talked to me.” Jester sounded stunned just to say it, her hands curling into fists.

 

“Did he recognise you?”

 

“I don't know. I don't think so- I was  _ disguised _ , he shouldn't have been able to recognise me, right?” Jester looked up at Beau for the first time since they'd left, but Beau was reeling, recalculating everything. Jester probably didn't see anything comforting in it, shrinking in on herself and leaning into Beau’s side. “He didn't say anything weird to me, I think. But I don't know. What if he did recognise me?” 

 

“Then I’ll kick his ass if he tries anything.” Beau says quickly, before softening. “But he won’t. He has no power to arrest you here. He’d have to realise you were disguised, figure out your fake name, figure out your  _ real  _ name and then figure out where you live, which is hard when you’re not even listed on the rental agreements.” 

 

“He could send people. He could put out a hit on me in Zadash too, the whole Empire even.” Jester breathed in deeply, her exhale a little wobbly. “If it weren’t for him, everything would have been perfect.” 

 

Jester leaned into her again, and Beau instinctively put her arm around her, holding her close. Jester’s shoulders were shivering, and when she spoke again, her voice was quiet. “Everything would have been fine.”

 

“I know.” Beau said, but Jester wasn’t finished. Nor did she seem to still be talking about the banquet. 

 

“I would still be home with my Mama in Nicodranas and everything was- it was fine. But then I never would have met you, or Fjord, or Nott or the others, and I never would have seen Zadash or anything. If it weren’t for him I wouldn’t be here. But because of him, I can’t go home.” She grew tenser with each word, burying her face in her hands. “I hate him, Beau. I hate him so much.” 

 

Wordlessly, Beau shuffled back, manoeuvring Jester so that they were sitting fully on the bed, her arms feeling like awkward leaden blocks, unsure of the right place to be to give Jester the reassurance or comfort she needed. 

 

“We’re here now, not there. He can’t do anything to you here.” She whispered, tilting her head to the side so that her cheeks pressed against the top of Jester’s head, ignoring the poking of Jester's horn in her neck. “And he won’t be around forever, either. Someday he’ll get voted out of office, or he’ll drop dead, and then he won’t have the power to keep you from Nicodranas either.” 

 

Jester sniffled, but she seemed to be listening, so Beau continued. 

 

“We could all go, like a vacation or something. You can introduce us to your mum and show us all your favourite places, we can vandalise some billboards with Sharp’s face on them, whatever you want.” 

 

There was a muffled snicker, and Beau felt herself relax a little, happy that she was hopefully making Jester feel at least a little better. 

 

“I’ve always wanted to visit the Menagerie Coast, actually.” Beau continued, slowly beginning to lie down on the bed. With the way they were still hugging, it ended up with Jester lying half on top of her, but she wasn’t about to move. “Used to imagine just jumping on a ship and sailing away to somewhere unknown. Somewhere far away from… home.” 

 

“I imagined doing something like that too sometimes.” Jester almost whispered. “Meeting a handsome sailor and joining him on his ship to sail the world forever. Able to go wherever I wanted. Maybe meet a mermaid.” 

 

“I used to imagine kissing a mermaid.” Beau said blandly, and there was a short beat of silence before Jester burst into a fit of giggles, stifling them behind a hand. Beau grinned, before both of them sobered up.

 

“I miss home. Sometimes, all I wanted to do was leave it, but I never imagined I would leave it the way I did.” Jester whispered. “Mama and I hardly had time to say goodbye.”

 

“Someday you’ll go back. You’ll see your mum again.” 

 

“I think my mum would like you, you know.” Jester said, and Beau craned her head back, trying to make eye contact.

 

“Really?” She asked incredulously. Jester just nodded slightly, her eyes half-closed. 

 

“She’d think you’re amazing. I’ve already told her how cool you are.” Beau had already known that Jester told her mother a lot of the things that happened in her life, but she hadn’t quite connected that to the fact that Jester’s mother would then be forming opinions on that. Opinions on  _ her _ . 

 

She wasn’t sure how she felt about Jester’s mother thinking she was cool. Much less amazing. Jester was probably just exaggerating, though. 

 

“Huh.” She said aloud, sinking her head into her pillow.

 

Jester hummed to herself for a moment, seeming to feel at least a little better, but still clinging on tight to Beau, her face downcast and her eyes almost always focused anywhere but Beau’s own. 

 

“Do you want a shower?” Beau asked, and Jester made a small hum of acknowledgement, before lightly shaking her head.

 

“‘m tired.” She murmured. “Disguise magic is hard.” 

 

“I bet.” Beau shifted a little, as Jester snuggled closer to her than she normally ever would. “G’night, Jester.”

 

“Night, Beau. I’m sorry we had to leave early because of me.” Somehow Jester managed to talk even quieter, her cheek pressed on top of Beau’s shoulder, wayward strands of hair tickling her jaw. 

 

“Don’t worry about it.” Beau said, feeling the exhaustion begin to sink into her now that Jester had admitted her tiredness out loud. “You’re more important to me than a banquet, or a job.” 

 

Jester didn’t respond to that, just curled in even closer, her tail wrapping about Beau’s leg. It didn’t take long for her to fall deep into sleep, her breathing becoming even, her grip on the fabric of Beau’s shirt falling loose. 

 

Beau muffled a yawn so as not to disturb her friend, shuffling a pillow so that it was under whatever of Jester’s head that wasn’t resting on Beau herself. 

 

She wasn’t sure what to make of… all of it. But they were home, and they were safe, so she could deal with the rest in the morning. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> yeehaw 
> 
> anyway im still emotionally traumatised by episode 93 so ahhhhhh
> 
> tho it did retroactively mostly validate my characterisation of beau from a while back so yeehaw


	36. Fjord 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau found a panicking Jester and takes her home, where Jester tells her of her encounter with Robert Sharp, as well as admitting that her feelings towards him and her exile from Nicodranas are more complicated than she tends to portray. Beau does her best to reassure her, and eventually they fall asleep together, still dressed in their fancy clothes.

Fjord woke up to a quiet, serene apartment. 

 

This struck him as very strange for a moment, because usually when he woke up one of the girls would be bustling in the kitchenette or talking or rummaging around in their room and knocking stuff over. 

 

Then he remembered the banquet that had happened last night, and it made a lot more sense. They hadn’t been sure who would get home first, him or the girls, but when he’d gotten home the previous night he’d quickly peeked into their room to see the two of them fast asleep, still dressed in their fine clothes. Depending on what kind of a night they’d had, they could be asleep for a long time yet.

 

Heading towards the bathroom, Fjord noticed their bedroom door still ajar, and he could see them still asleep, tangled up in one another with Jester mostly curled up on top of Beau. Beau was snoring lightly, and she was still wearing one of her shoes, and Jester’s nice purse was lying haphazardly on the ground. 

 

The peace persisted even as Fjord went through his morning routine, which wasn’t exactly quiet. It was rather nice to have a slow morning for once (technically it was nearly ten o clock, but it was morning for him) and so he took even more time than usual to sit down and have breakfast, enjoying a cup of coffee. 

 

It wasn’t until well after he’d finished his breakfast and had settled in on his couch with his backpack, sorting through some of the things that had long been buried in the bottom, mostly killing time until he was due to go see Zuala so she could take him on a driving lesson, that he felt a faint vibration from his phone. 

 

**Beau: fjord help**

 

Raising his eyebrows at the brief message, Fjord stood up and walked down the hallway to the girls’ room. He hadn’t noticed that Beau had stopped snoring, but now he could hear her sighing, another message popping up on Fjord’s screen that he didn't read. 

 

“Beau?” He peeked into the room, seeing Beau awake, half-extricated from beneath Jester with her phone in one hand and the other carefully uncurling Jester’s tail from around her leg. 

 

“Fjord-” Beau whispered, her eyes flickering towards Jester, who was still sound asleep. “Help me out here.”

 

“With getting up?” 

 

Beau narrowed her eyes at him, before somehow groaning without making any sound. “I don’t wanna wake Jester- just lift her up a little-” 

 

After successfully extracting her from beneath Jester, and tucking a pillow into the approximate space where Beau had been for Jester to hang on to, and then tossing a blanket on top of her as well, Beau stretched her arms up, cracking out all the kinks in her back and neck. 

 

When they got out to the kitchen, Fjord took a seat at the dining table and watched Beau sullenly begin the process of making herself breakfast, eventually flopping down in another seat and tugging out the ribbon holding her hair together. 

 

“So how was your night?” Fjord finally asked, after watching Beau tug off her suit vest and hang it off the back of her chair. 

 

Beau looked up at him, her gaze flickering away for a moment before settling on her cup of coffee. “Pretty much exactly what I expected. A lot of rich people gossiping to each other.” 

 

“Good gossip?”

 

She nodded. “I’m pretty sure I found the one man who’s somehow friends with everyone else in the entire city, and he knew _so_ much. You would not believe the number of secret relationships going on.”

 

“I’ll take your word for it.” Fjord said. “You seem exhausted.”

 

Running one hand through her stiff and tangled hair, Beau’s face noticeably tightened, and Fjord found himself leaning in. “It was a lot.”

 

“Did it all run smoothly? You didn’t get caught, did you?” 

 

“No, no, we were fine.” Her eyes flickered away again, and Fjord frowned. 

 

“You sure?” He pressed, and Beau looked at him warily, pursing her lips and visibly considering something. 

 

“Do you ever get homesick a lot? For Port Damali?” The words seemed to spill out of her, and she leaned back in her chair, scratching absently at her arms, leaving her coffee to the side and focusing fully on him, which made Fjord a little uneasy. This was leading somewhere.

 

“... Not very often.” He finally said. “There’s things I miss about the place, sure, but I miss being on a boat more than I miss Port Damali.” 

 

Beau nodded curtly, her brow furrowing. “I think Jester’s homesick. I’m pretty sure. Like, ninety percent.” 

 

Fjord found himself frowning, trying to find the dots that connected them talking about the banquet to talking about Jester being homesick. “Did something happen?” 

 

Beau stared at him for a long moment, and Fjord could almost see her weighing up possibilities in her head before coming to a snap conclusion. “There were some people from Nicodranas at the banquet. One guy in particular- the one who Jester pranked. He was there.”

 

“The politician? Did he recognise her?”

 

“We don’t think so. But he freaked her out, and we left early, and we talked a bit, and I think she really misses her home.” Beau tore her gaze away, her fingers curling into loose fists. “I don’t know, can we do anything about it?” 

 

Fjord sagged back into his chair, his eyebrows knitting together, glancing down the hallway towards Beau and Jester’s bedroom. “I don’t know. Usually… it just kinda goes away on it’s own. Do you ever feel homesick?” 

 

She wasn’t looking at him already, and Fjord saw her jaw tense. “Not really.” 

 

“Well, knowing Jester, it probably won’t take much to cheer her up.” Fjord wasn’t sure if he believed himself, but the idea of an upset Jester was not a pleasant one. “You’re going to work today, right?” 

 

“Yeah, Professor Bilynn wants to do some inventory so I couldn’t get the _whole_ day off, but I’ll have to leave soon so I can give the Gentleman a debrief before my shift starts.” Her nose scrunched a little and Fjord couldn’t blame her for wanting the whole day off after such a late night, but such was their life. 

 

“Maybe you can get her something on the way home.” Fjord suggested. “The bakery, probably.” 

 

“Yeah. I just don’t know. Maybe she doesn’t want to make a big deal of it, you know?” 

 

“I think you might be overthinking it a little bit.” Fjord said, holding up a placating hand just in case. “Look, I’ll be going on a driving lesson with Zuala today, and then I might book my actual test, I can get something on the way back to celebrate, that way Jester won’t think there’s a connection between last night.” 

 

Beau seemed unconvinced, but eventually conceded that perhaps that was the best way to go about it if she wanted to be discreet, and any further discussion was cut off by Jester herself finally waking up, her tired groans as she stomped down the hallway more than enough warning of her arrival for the two of them to act normal. 

 

She didn’t _seem_ particularly upset, but she was noticeably more subdued than usual, though that could be blamed on exhaustion from the long night if Fjord hadn’t been told a little of what had happened. 

 

“Will you be doing anything today, Jester?” Fjord asked innocently while Jester picked through a bowl of cereal, ignoring the suspicious look Beau shot at him. “Beau’s working and I’ll be driving for a few hours at least.” 

 

“Um, I’m not sure. I think I promised Nott I’d hang out with her today.” Jester rubbed at her eyes, smudged with eyeshadow. “We’ll probably go to the park.”

 

“That sounds fun.” Fjord said, and Jester just made a vague sound of agreement that was interrupted by a yawn. 

 

By the time Fjord was ready to leave, both Beau and Jester were still sluggishly going through their morning routines, and he tried to push the conversation he and Beau had had out of his mind. It was concerning, but Jester had always been resilient. Given a few days, and maybe a box of doughnuts or something, chances were she’d be right as rain. 

 

Still, the thought of it lingered in the back of his mind, even as he walked down to Yasha and Zuala’s apartment. 

 

There was a small commotion behind the door and a few loud meows, before Zuala cracked it open, a black cat wriggling in her grip. Fjord had already taken a step back after knocking, wary of how cat-infested the apartment was, but Zuala looked apologetic regardless.

 

“Hi Fjord! I’m just about ready to go- Yasha, babe, can you grab Shadow?” Zuala held the door only partly open.

 

“Hello, Fjord.” Yasha said, peering out the gap in the door and waving loosely at him before collecting the cat from Zuala’s arms.

 

“Hey, Yasha.” Fjord nodded politely, holding his hands behind his back.

 

“Oh, Fjord, Yasha wanted to know if you were okay if she came with us, she wants to visit that park we drop Beau and Jester off at sometimes.” Zuala said, opening the door wider. “We’d just drop her off and then pick her up again once we’re done.” 

 

“No problem here.” Fjord shrugged, waiting for Zuala and Yasha to exit and lock their apartment before they headed towards the stairs together. “Wanting to look at some of the flowers?”

 

Yasha nodded, adjusting a thin beanie on her head. “Some of them are only just starting to bloom.”

 

“Which ones?” Fjord asked, listening politely as Yasha began to list the various flowers that she’d seen in that park over the years, and which ones were due to bloom.

 

Fjord really liked Yasha and Zuala. Yasha was almost the best coworker he could’ve asked for, hard-working and content to mind her own business but willing, if a bit awkward, to hold a conversation if he started one. Zuala he hadn’t had the opportunity to see much until she’d started teaching him to drive, but she’d proven a very encouraging and mostly competent teacher. Not to mention that the both of them were just pleasant people to be around. 

 

But even beyond that, Fjord found something reassuring about them. They were Xhorhassians, refugees, and they’d managed to not only make their way to the Empire but stay there, manage to carve out their own lives and find their own niche in the world. If _they_ could manage it, surely Fjord could as well. 

 

Zuala started off the drivers seat, to get them out of the busier part of town and to the park, where she and Fjord would swap and they’d drop off Yasha. The two women kept up a quiet stream of conversation, but Fjord couldn’t stop his thoughts from wandering, always coming back to the conversation he’d had with Beau, and Jester. 

 

He didn’t like the idea of any of his friends being upset, and Beau had hardly told him any details of what had _actually_ happened. He didn’t know what he could do to help with that. But maybe he _could_ help with homesickness.

 

“Hey, Zuala, Yasha, do you two get homesick often?” He asked, cutting through their idle chatter. 

 

Both women fell quiet for a moment, Yasha’s brow furrowing together and Zuala tilting her head slightly in his direction in lieu of looking at him. 

 

“Homesick? Occasionally.” Zuala answered first, appearing thoughtful. “Not as much as I used to.” 

 

“I don’t. Xhorhas isn’t going anywhere.” Yasha’s voice was firm, and even a little sharp, which caught Fjord’s attention. But she didn’t seem inclined to elaborate, looking out the window from where she was sitting behind the driver’s seat. 

 

“Why do you ask?” Zuala sounded more curious than anything. 

 

“I- well, Beau, mostly, think Jester’s feeling homesick for Nicodranas. We were wondering if we should do anything about it.” Fjord explained. 

 

“Well…” Zuala’s voice trailed off for a moment. “When _I’m_ missing home, some food and movies always make me feel better. It can be hard to find some of the ingredients sometimes-”

 

“You mean, like, Xhorhassian food?” Fjord asked, and Zuala nodded. 

 

“Yeah. All our favourite meals from back home. Even just cooking them can make me feel better. And then we have some movies we brought with us so we’ll watch those and just have a quiet day inside.” Zuala sighed fondly. 

 

“It is very nice.” Yasha admitted. “My favourite movie is about a florist trying to make different flowers grow in the moorlands. And then she falls in love.” 

 

“ _My_ favourite is about the last stand of the Iothlian’s.” Zuala said dreamily. “It’s so dramatic.”

 

Fjord raised an eyebrow, and he couldn’t help himself. “Last stand?”

 

“Yeah, they all got massacred, it had a lot of far-reaching consequences for our region but it’s a _great_ movie. Really accurate.” 

 

Somehow, Fjord didn’t think that would be the kind of movie that would cheer Jester up. 

 

“Jester’s from Nicodranas, right? They’ve got all sorts of foods I bet she loves. And movies.” Zuala continued, humming to herself. “I don’t think the international food store is too far from here. Their Menagerie Coast selection is _way_ bigger than their Xhorhassian one.”

 

“I think we might have some spices from Nicodranas at home already, actually.” Yasha said. 

 

Fjord considered it for a moment. Jester had always enjoyed getting food from the Coastian takeaway shop, and she’d certainly gushed about her home on more than one occasion. Making some Nicodranian food from scratch? There was bound to be recipes online, and if they managed to do it correctly… she’d probably be thrilled.

 

“Would you be able to take me to that food store once we’re done?” Fjord asked, and Zuala smiled, already switching lanes and preparing to turn around.

 

“Nonsense. This is an all-day commitment. We can go driving another day, this is important. Angel, do you mind?” Zuala asked, looking in the rearview mirror. 

 

Yasha shook her head and gave them a thumbs up, and Fjord’s mouth turned up. 

 

“Well, that’s food… hang on,” Fjord pulled out his phone, bringing up Beau’s number and texting away as quickly as he could.

 

**Fjord: Beau Beau I have an idea**

**Fjord: Be a u**

**Fjord: Beauuuu**

**Beau: jeez what is it**

**Fjord: Yasha and Zuala gave me an idea to help Jester. Food and movies.**

**Beau: ???**

**Fjord: From Nicodranas!! To remind her of home!!!**

**Beau: oooooh**

**Beau: u think that would work??**

**Fjord: I dont think it will hurt does the library let you borrow out movies?**

**Beau: yeah**

**Fjord: See if you can find ones from nicodranas that she’d like**

**Beau: so every single romcom i can find?**

**Fjord: Probably**

**Beau: dude we dont have a tv tho**

 

Fjord paused, before cursing under his breath. “We don’t have a tv. Much less a DVD player.” 

 

“We have one.” Yasha said. “You could use that.” 

 

“Really? We wouldn’t want to impose.” 

 

“You’re friends, it’s fine. You can use our kitchen too, as long as you clean up.” Zuala said.

 

“And give us some of the food.” Yasha added seriously. 

 

“Of course.” Fjord agreed. “Maybe we could invite the others too? Caleb and Nott and Caduceus? Jester would probably like having them around too.” 

 

Zuala and Yasha agreed to being alright with having all of them in their apartment provided nothing got too out of hand and they all cleaned up after themselves, and Fjord quickly relayed all of it to Beau, who agreed to go through all the Nicodranian movies the library had to select ones that Jester would probably like. 

 

That solved the food problem, and the movie problem. Which left just one more, Fjord realised. 

 

“Shit. I don’t know when Jester is going to get home.” He said, frowning.

 

“Where is she now?” Zuala asked.

 

“Out in the city with Nott. That was her plan, at least.” Fjord quickly hunted down Nott’s phone number from the group chat. He’d never thought he would have a reason to text her specifically, but here they were.

 

**Fjord: Nott**

**Fjord: Nott are you with Jester?**

**Nott: WHAT DO U WANT**

**Fjord: Is jester with you?**

**Nott: JESTERS LIKE UP ON A HILL**

**Fjord: Where are you?**

**Nott: IN A BUSH**

**Fjord: Wh y?????**

**Nott: IDK WHY ARR U SO WIMPY WHAT DO U WNT**

 

Fjord sighed, rolling his eyes in the knowledge that Nott couldn’t see him before going back to his phone.

 

**Fjord: I need you to keep Jester from coming home for as long as possible**

**Nott: WHY**

**Fjord: Beau and Yasha and Zuala and I are planning a surprise for her**

**Nott: WHAT DO I GET OUT OF IT**

**Fjord: An afternoon and evening of good food movies and companionship**

**Nott: HMMM**

**Fjord: It’ll make Jester happy**

**Nott: FINE**

**Fjord: Thanks Nott**

**Nott: UR WELCOME**

 

Exhaling a breath of relief, Fjord put his phone down, the corner of his mouth quirking upwards. Well, apparently they planning a surprise for Jester now.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> and now for some nice softness and wholesome bonding time between the gang yeehaw  
> fjord can book his drivers test another time lol
> 
> and with this chapter this story is now Officially my longest published story on ao3 we stan


	37. Beau 18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Waking up the morning after the banquet, Beau quietly confides in Fjord some of the details of what happened, focusing mostly on Jester's homesickness. Fjord finds himself thinking about it, and on the way to a driving lesson with Zuala and Yasha, he asks the two women if they had any idea on how to help her. They suggest their favoured remedy of food and movies from home, and after some quick texting with Beau and asking Nott to keep Jester distracted, they decide to make it happen.

“There is no way we will be able to watch twenty six movies in one night.” Caleb said, as the two of them carefully looked over the movies stacked up in their arms to avoid tripping on the stairs up to the eighth floor. “Also, this is an abuse of the fact that there is technically no limit on how many movies you can borrow.” 

 

“Hey, the more options the better, right?” Beau snickered. “I haven’t watched a movie in like, three years, I definitely don’t know what good Nicodranian cinema is.” 

 

“To be fair, neither do I.” Caleb said. “At the very least, Jester should definitely be able to find at least one that she likes from this selection.”

 

Beau hummed an acknowledgement and sighed in relief as they _finally_ got to the eighth floor, walking over to Yasha and Zuala’s door and precariously balancing her stack of DVDs in one hand in order to knock. 

 

Caduceus of all people was the one to open the door, the smell of spices and honey drifting into the air.

 

“Nice to see you two.” Caduceus stepped aside to allow Beau and Caleb to walk in, putting the movies down on the closest coffee table.

 

Beau had only ever seen Yasha and Zuala’s apartment from the doorway before, and took the chance now to really admire it. Zuala was sitting on a worn leather couch that had a few hand-knitted blankets with geometric patterns slung over it, a fluffy grey-furred cat purring contentedly in her arms, eyes closed. 

 

In their kitchenette, Yasha and Fjord were both looking over pots or poking bowls filled with foods that Beau vaguely recognised as being almost stereotypically Nicodranian. There were stews, porridges, and a shocking number of pastries. Yasha seemed very pleased with herself, while Fjord was-

 

“Dude, are you wearing a face mask?” Beau asked, not even trying to hide the delight in her voice.

 

Fjord turned, seeing her and Caleb and narrowing his eyes at her. “Look, this place is _covered_ in cat hair. Antihistamines can only get me so far.” 

 

“We _did_ vacuum up as much as we could.” Zuala looked apologetic, and Fjord waved a hand.

 

“I’ll be fine. Masks and drugs fix everything.” He said.

 

“Wow, one would think you’re the one in a gang.” Beau said, and Fjord rolled his eyes as dramatically as he could before getting back to whatever he was cooking. 

 

“That is a very handsome cat.” Caleb had sat down on the same couch as Zuala, with some distance between them. 

 

“Oh, he is!” Zuala preened. “His name is Constantine.”

 

“He’s an asshole.” Yasha said mildly from where she’d been staring intently at a recipe on her phone.

 

“Yes, he is.” Zuala didn’t miss a beat. “Except to me.” 

 

“Exactly how many cats do you have again?” Beau asked. “Three or four, right?”

 

“Four.” Zuala said. “Patch and Shadow are locked up in the bedroom so they don’t climb all over Fjord, and Second is probably sleeping somewhere, but she won’t bother anyone.”

 

“She’s very lazy.” Yasha added. 

 

“Constantine is our man of the house.” Zuala gushed. “And also the fluffiest boy in the whole world~” 

 

“Does he appreciate pats?” Caleb asked.

 

“You’re welcome to try, but he usually only lets me.” Zuala shrugged lightly. 

 

“Not even Yasha?” Caduceus appeared curious.

 

“We have an agreement.” Yasha said it very casually, though the look she gave the cat was slightly ominous. Beau hadn’t known it was possible to have tension between a cat and a person looking at each other, but Yasha and Constantine managed it. 

 

Caleb simply snapped his fingers, Frumpkin appearing in his arms and stretching out. Constantine instantly perked up, and for a few moments fey-cat and real-cat stared at each other, hardly blinking until Constantine finally shuffled himself around so that he was no longer facing Frumpkin. 

 

With cats settled, almost everyone soon got busy making sure everything was ready. Yasha and Fjord had finished making nearly everything, with the others setting up a large blanket to lay out on the ground to put the food on, since Yasha and Zuala’s tiny table that they would presumably sit at for meals was nowhere near enough for eight of them. 

 

Beau, with Zuala’s assistance, set up the DVD player so that they could pop in a movie as quickly as possible, and then spent a solid five minutes trying to stack the movies as neatly as possible (she wasn’t nervous she just wanted it to _look nice_ ) when Fjord got word from Nott that she and Jester had just reached the apartment building. 

 

For a moment everyone froze, realising they hadn’t actually made a plan for what they were going to do when Jester walked in, before simultaneously deciding to just _act natural._

 

After far too few minutes there was a light rapping at the door and muffled voices on the other side, and Beau suddenly realised that _she_ was the one who happened to be standing closest. Everyone else was looking at her expectantly.

 

Beau cleared her throat and approached the door, hearing Jester’s voice on the other side more clearly.

 

“Why did Yasha need one of your knives _anyway?_ She has her own.” Jester was saying, and Beau could hear Nott mumble through some kind of excuse before Beau finally pulled the door open.

 

“Beau?” Jester blinked in surprise, Nott quietly scurrying past her into the apartment. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Uh-” The blood was rushing to her cheeks and Beau quickly stepped back, giving Jester a view of the apartment and the food set up on the blanket and everyone else gathered around failing to look normal. “Surprise?” 

 

Jester took a step inside, seeming to slowly take everything in. She had her packs of painting supplies and some canvases hanging from her shoulders, though it didn’t look like she’d gotten much actual painting done. 

 

“What…” Jester looked at everyone, then down at the food, recognition quickly blooming in her eyes before she gasped, her mouth dropping open. “Oh my _gosh_ are those papapnis?”

 

“Among other things. No guarantees on whether the sweet cheese tastes the same.” Fjord said, drawing Jester’s attention. He had poached Frumpkin from Caleb a short while ago, and had declared that he wasn't going to give him back. Jester covered her mouth, stifling a giggle.

 

“Are you wearing a _mask_ ?” She said, before looking around again. “Were you in here all _day_?” 

 

“More like half the day.” 

 

“Oh my gosh you guys!” She didn’t seem to know who to look at, only for her eyes to finally land on Beau. “Did you do this for me?” 

 

Faced with her gaze filled with shock and fondness and _oh god was she tearing up_ \- Beau lost her words for a moment, clearing her throat again. “We also borrowed out a whole bunch of movies. From Nicodranas. So you can pick your favourites and we can all, like, watch them together.” 

 

“Really?” _Oh shit her voice cracked she fucked up this was a terrible idea-_

 

Beau shot a panicked look at Fjord, who just shrugged helplessly before suddenly Jester’s arms were around Beau, hugging her tight. There were canvases and paintbrushes poking into her sides but she ignored them. 

 

“I can’t believe this!” Jester separated quickly, her eyes shimmering but with a massive smile on her face. “You guys are the _best_!” 

 

All at once Beau felt a weight lift from her shoulders, relief flooding her system. Thank the _gods_. “We figured if you can’t go to Nicodranas, you can still have parts of it here, right?” 

 

“Beau wanted to do something first. Yasha and Zuala gave us the ideas of food and movies, and everyone else helped.” Fjord said. 

 

“Aww-” Jester slid her supplies off and let them rest on the ground, bouncing on her toes like she didn’t know what to do with herself. “Thank you so much!”

 

She went around hugging everyone, especially Fjord, Yasha and Beau. She tried to hug Zuala, only to narrowly avoid getting mauled by Constantine, who did not appreciate it. Once she was done Beau brought over the stacks of movies for her to pick from. Apparently Beau had had good taste, because Jester squealed over some of the movies for a good few minutes before she finally picked one, a romantic drama about a princess of some ancient kingdom being rescued by (what else) a handsome prince. 

 

They all settled down, Jester, Zuala and Caleb all squished on the couch while Caduceus and Fjord (with Frumpkin purring in his lap) sat on chairs they pulled up close to the couch and the others all found spots on the floor. Those on the ground made up plates of food for those who couldn’t reach, while Jester shushed anyone who so much as breathed too loudly once the movie had started.

 

Caleb eventually stood up to get a drink, at which point Beau promptly stole his seat on the couch next to Jester and refused to give it up, smiling smugly when Caleb rolled his eyes and took her vacated seat on the ground. 

 

The movie was exactly the kind of fluffy romance that Beau had expected a young Jester would love. Despite having seen it enough times that Beau could see Jester mouthing the words to important scenes from the corner of her eyes, she still squealed like it was her first time viewing it at every story beat, laughing or chuckling at almost every joke. 

 

When that movie finished, Jester picked out another one, this time about a forbidden romance between a regular human and a denizen of the Feywild. Then there was a more dramatic movie about spies (who fell in love), then a movie about pirates (who fell in love), then a movie about a gang of kids going on a magical adventure (one of whom fell in love with the young elf princess). 

 

They were all pretty different movies, but with one common thread. The protagonist and their love interest would fall in love, whether instantly or after a movie full of bickering. There would be a wedding, or a kiss shared after the defeat of the bad guy, or an epilogue with a son, daughter and a baby running around laughing. The bow on top of a picture-perfect, step by step romance, even if some of the variables were different.

 

Beau had never enjoyed movies and stories like that. She could never see herself in them, on either side of the equation. Too abrasive and stubborn to be a love interest, too… _her_ , to be the protagonist that saved everyone. 

 

But Jester ate them all up, her eyes sparkling with wonder, perhaps exacerbated by nostalgia, and it made them a lot more bearable. Now Jester was the kind of person who’d get a romance fit for a movie in real life. It was far too easy to imagine her in the roles of the characters in the movies they watched, swooning in the arms of the hero or swapping barbs with the man she thought she hated but would grow to care for by the third act. 

 

Fjord and Yasha had to leave for work about halfway through the spy movie, Fjord reluctantly passing Frumpkin back to Caleb. Zuala had to leave shortly afterwards, giving them all permission to stay as long as they cleaned up, left some food for her and Yasha, and locked the door behind them. 

 

With just five people left, Nott and Caduceus both squished onto the couch, pushing Beau and Jester closer together. Jester hardly seemed to mind, looping her arm around Beau’s elbow and poking her in the shoulder during important moments, her tail snaking around Beau’s ankle.

  
Beau wasn’t sure how much attention she actually paid to the movies after that, too busy being painfully aware of every squeeze, every chuckle and gasp and brush of cool skin against hers that made her heart skip a beat even as she tried to keep it in rhythm.  

 

And also trying to avoid getting knocked in the head by Nott, who apparently got very invested when watching movies, almost more so than Jester. Between the two of them, they were lucky to avoid a noise complaint. 

 

After watching the gang of plucky tweens go through the magic portal one final time, the leader sharing a chaste hug with his new elf princess girlfriend before he did, Jester’s cheer as the credits began to roll was interrupted by a yawn. 

 

“Tired?” Beau asked, her fingers fiddling with one of the buckles on Jester’s overalls. 

 

“No- no, we can keep going-” Jester yawned again. “Okay, maybe a little.” 

 

“I think this has been very successful.” Caduceus was slowly munching some kind of baked noodle pudding.

 

“Are we finishing?” Nott’s ears pricked up, and she slid off the couch to pick through the food that was left over, selecting the best of what was left. “I claim all this to take home then.”

 

“We need to leave a bunch for Yasha and Zuala,” Beau nudged Nott in her side with her foot, pulling it away before the goblin could swat at her. “And I think _Jester_ should get first pick of leftovers.” 

 

“This _is_ supposed to be for her.” Caleb said quietly from where he was lying on his stomach, having ignored almost the entirely of the last movie in favour of slowly creeping closer to Constantine, who had retreated to the bottom shelf of a bookshelf after Zuala had left, and was eyeing Caleb suspiciously. Thus far Caleb had not been mauled, but he also had not been able to pet the pompous cat. Frumpkin, for his part, was curled up quite comfortably on Caleb’s back. 

 

“Oh, I’m taking _all_ the leftover sweet apple pie!” Jester scrambled off the couch. “It’s my _favourite_!” 

 

Beau sat back on the couch while Jester and Nott raided the food for their preferred leftovers, Caleb and Caduceus hovering to make sure there was enough left over for everyone else. They had to dig through a pantry to find some containers for them, but figured Yasha and Zuala wouldn’t mind as long they returned them eventually. 

 

Soon everything was sorted and cleaned and packed to the best of their ability, the five of them doing a final once over to make sure the apartment was in a suitable condition. When Beau turned around to pick up the movies and head out, Jester was standing close to the door, her container of sweet apple pie in her hands and tears in her eyes.

 

“Oh shit.” Beau spoke before thinking. “Jes, what’s wrong?” 

 

Jester broke into a smile, rubbing at her eyes. “I’m sorry- it’s happy crying, I promise.” 

 

Caleb and Nott looked wary, while Caduceus looked as calm as ever. Beau stepped up, feeling slightly mollified by the idea of happy tears but not completely reassured. “Yeah?”

 

“Yeah. I just can’t believe you did this for me!” Jester’s fingers closed around Beau’s wrists, looking at all of them in turn. “You didn’t have to, but you did!” 

 

“You are our friend. It was a nice, fun thing to do for a friend.” Caleb said, Nott and Caduceus quickly agreeing. 

 

“You liked it, right?” Beau asked, and Jester nodded.

 

“It’s one of the best, nicest things anyone’s ever done for me. I wish we could do it again.”

 

“Maybe we could.” Caduceus said, catching everyone’s attention. There was a pause, and he elaborated. “Maybe with not as much food as tonight, but if you two are able to borrow movies for free, and Yasha and Zuala are agreeable to letting us stay in their apartment in the future, we could do this again.”

 

“That would be so amazing!” Jester gasped. “And we could have everyone else’s favourite movies too!” 

 

“That does sound interesting.” Caleb said. “But perhaps something to be discussed tomorrow. I am quite tired.” 

 

Goodbyes and goodnights were quickly exchanged, the five of them locking the apartment and heading up to the ninth floor before splitting up. 

 

“We could make it a regular thing, you know? Like a weekly movie night!” Jester said once the door was closed, bouncing over to the fridge to deposit their leftovers while Beau dumped DVDs on their dining table. 

 

“Sounds fun.” Beau said genuinely. “I honestly can’t even remember what my favourite movie is.” 

 

“Well, we’ll have to find it!” Jester walked up to her, taking her hands and beaming, before her smile faded a little. 

 

“Jes?”

 

There was a pause. “I know you did this because of last night.” 

 

“Oh.” Beau shifted uncomfortably on her feet. “I’m sorry.” 

 

“No, no, I loved it. I really did.” Jester’s smile brightened a little again, looking down at Beau’s hands clasped in hers. “It helped me forget about it for a while.” 

 

They lapsed into quiet, Jester biting her lower lip, tail swishing languidly back and forth just above the ground. Beau didn’t know what to say, not wanting to break the tender silence between them. 

 

“Thank you.” Jester finally said, her head tilting up to look Beau in the eyes. 

 

“I mean, Fjord really did most of the organising-” Beau chuckled loosely, and the corner of Jester’s mouth quirked upwards, her voice taking on a teasing tone.

 

“I’ll thank Fjord when I see him tomorrow. Right now I’m thanking _you_.”

 

“Oh.” Beau inhaled silently. “You’re welcome.” 

 

Jester’s smile softened, and she squeezed Beau’s hands one more time before letting go, covering her mouth as she yawned, quickly declaring she was going to have the bathroom first, leaving Beau standing in the middle of their living room with her hands still clasped together.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! An early chapter this week because I have a workshop tomorrow and I'll be pretty rushed in the morning, so I don't want to forget. 
> 
> Anyway, theres some nice soft goodness for us all. The perfect breather between the banquet and what's coming next. ^_^ 
> 
> Also, wise words from Fjord "Masks and drugs fix everything."


	38. Beau 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau and most of her friends gather in Yasha and Zuala's apartment for their impromptu Nicodranian movie night, surprising Jester when Nott brings her over. Jester is thrilled and overjoyed, and everyone has a wonderful time even if some of them have to leave early. Back in their apartment, Jester tells Beau that she knows she suggested it because of what had happened at and after the banquet, but that she loved it regardless, and it really helped.

Beau stared at the clock, which stubbornly refused to turn any faster than it usually did. 

 

Groaning, she buried her face in her arms, resting on the counter. Usually, having a quiet moment at work was great, but for once there was nothing to do. All returns had been sorted, all late fees had been processed, there weren’t even any panicking students trying to look for the one random piece of information they needed for an assignment due within the next four hours or so. 

 

There were only two actual patrons in the entire library, some random men that had been poring over some books for three hours and were, unfortunately, being model citizens. Beau would have almost preferred having to tell them off for putting books back in the wrong place or something. 

 

Professor Bilynn had disappeared to a study room to work on some kind of paper, and Caleb had cocooned himself away with stacks of books ages ago, but Beau was just _bored_. She’d already spent an hour or two roaming the shelves, picking through anything that looked interesting, but as her shift drew to a close she just got antsy. 

 

So here she was, flicking pieces of paper across the counter and staring at the clock to find it had only moved forward ten seconds from the last time she’d checked. 

 

“Beauregard?” Her head snapped up, and she saw Caleb looking at her with an arched eyebrow, walking around the counter to the drawer where he kept his belongings during shift. “Are you alright?”

 

“I’m fine. Just bored.” Beau pinched the bridge of her nose, glancing at the clock again to see she still had half an hour to go. 

 

“It has been an extraordinarily quiet day today.” Caleb agreed, pulling out his scarf. “Professor Bilynn told me he didn’t mind if we left early.”

 

“Really?” Beau scrambled to her feet. “Oh thank the _gods_.”

 

Caleb didn’t have to wait long for her to be ready, Beau darting out of the library and already feeling better as she stepped out into the late spring afternoon air. They started in the direction of home, Caleb content to walk in silence while Beau enjoyed stretching out her arms. 

 

The streets were still fairly busy at this time, a lot of storefronts proudly displaying banners and flags dedicated to the Allhammer. 

 

“Deep Solace was like, almost a week ago. You’d think they’d have taken everything down by now.” Beau murmured. 

 

Beau and the others had celebrated Deep Solace, but mostly by buying things during holy day sales and then gathering for a movie night in which they spent more time talking about whatever gods _they_ followed or paid tribute to and how it was so annoying that almost all of them were illegal. 

 

“I have a theory about that, actually.” Caleb kept his voice similarly low. “Because so many of the holidays to the other gods are banned or reworked to be about the Empire, citizens celebrate the ones we _do_ have even more.” 

 

“Right, right. There’s a banned one next month, right? You were talking about it?”

 

“Midsummer, yes.” Caleb nodded. “I am looking forward to it. I am not extremely devoted, per se, but I think it is respectful to pay tribute to the patron of the arcane.”

 

Beau nodded, though there was a niggling feeling in her brain that she was forgetting something. 

 

“How do you do it? Just hide it in your apartment?” 

 

“For the most part.” Caleb shrugged. “Some people like to hide symbols in their art during the Artisan’s Faire, since they are so close together in date.” 

 

“Artisan’s Faire… that’s the fifteenth, right?” Beau pulled out her phone and went looking through the calendar. Something about that date seemed important.

 

Flicking to the fifteenth of Brussendar, Beau had been correct that it was Artisan’s Faire. She had also been correct that she had been forgetting something, because at the top of the day, marked with every single flag and reminder she was able to fit, was ‘JESTERS BIRTHDAY DONT FORGET OR ILL KILL YOU’ 

 

Beau swore, immediately checking the current day. “That’s Jester’s birthday.”

 

“Oh?” Caleb was irritatingly unconcerned, and Beau pressed on.

 

“I don’t know what I’m going to get her.” 

 

“You have a full month. A little longer, actually.” 

 

“Fjord told us that he’d missed his birthday at the end of Thunsheer because he doesn’t really celebrate it, and Jester nearly flipped a lid. Then she found out _mine_ was in Horisal and she spent a whole day making paintings for us to make up for missing the birthdays she didn’t even know about.” Beau frowned down at her phone. 

 

“Was it a nice painting?” Caleb seemed a little more sympathetic but still looked at her like he didn’t see the point. 

 

Beau cleared her throat, dimly remembering how she’d barely been able to speak proper sentences after getting her gift. “It’s a very nice painting. _But_ my point is, Jester takes birthdays seriously and I- I’ve never had to take a birthday seriously before. I don’t want to fuck it up.” 

 

“I do not think you will,” Caleb said. “You could get her more painting supplies, or some special pastries, she would probably like that.”

 

“Yeah, but that feels kinda obvious, you know? It needs to be special. Like, if I had to get Fjord a present I’d get him something for his car. He likes that thing more than he likes us, I’m pretty sure, and he only got it a week ago and it's a million years old.” 

 

“I remember, he would not stop talking about it during movie night. An incredible deal, I believe he said, multiple times.” Caleb said, and Beau smirked.

 

“It’s fine, obviously, he worked really hard to get it and everything. My _point_ is that I’d know what to get him as a birthday present. But Jester’s harder.” 

 

“If you say so.” Caleb shrugged, looking up at the overcast sky above them.

 

Beau grumbled to herself, eventually sighing and putting her phone away. She glanced around, peering at the reflections in glass windows as they passed, only for a shiver to run up her spine. 

 

All at once, she had the distinct sensation of being watched. 

 

Her head snapped straight ahead, hands tensing in her pockets.

 

“Beauregard?” Caleb had either seen her sudden shift in demeanour or sensed something himself. He was paranoid enough, she wouldn’t be surprised if he had. 

 

Without saying anything, Beau glanced at a storefront, pretending to be distracted by something inside and taking the opportunity to look behind her from the corner of her eye. 

 

“The men from the library,” Beau whispered, only looking for a second, just long enough for her to recognise them, before looking back to Caleb. “They’re behind us.” 

 

Caleb was smart enough not to immediately look himself, staring at her instead before letting his eyes shift over her shoulders. “You’re right. You don’t suppose it’s a coincidence?”

 

“Perhaps.” Beau gritted her teeth, straightening up and starting to walk again. “Let’s take the long way.” 

 

They made a turn, then another, into a quieter street. After a while they stopped again to look at a bus station, pretending to pore over the schedule.

 

“They are still behind us.” Caleb’s voice was low and stiff. “About forty feet away.”

 

“The question is, are they following me, or you?” Beau asked, fixing Caleb with a look. He’d never said much of his past to her (though to be fair, she hadn’t told him much of hers) but she knew he wasn’t exactly a perfectly law-abiding citizen. 

 

He gave her a withering glance, before looking in the direction of the men and furrowing his brow together. “The next bus here won’t arrive for ten minutes. It will not take us towards home, but I don’t think going directly home is a good idea.” 

 

Beau nodded, her mind spinning while trying to act normal. “But waiting around here for ten minutes gives them plenty of time to act like they just happen to be catching the same bus. We need to try to lose them on foot.” 

 

Caleb pursed his lips together, before giving a terse nod. He pointed to a random spot on the bus schedule and complained a little louder than necessary that this was the wrong stop, and the two were off again, this time at a brisk pace appropriate for two people trying to get to the correct bus stop on time. 

 

They were still being followed. 

 

Only two men, from what Beau could tell, and they hadn’t seemed particularly dangerous or violent when Beau had seen them in the library, but that meant nothing. 

 

They tried to stick to busy streets, hoping to lose them in crowds, but whenever they took a chance to check, the men were still there, and there were only so many times they could pretend to get lost on what was _supposed_ to be a routine trip home from work before they would become suspicious if they weren’t already. 

 

Beau and Caleb were getting antsy, and their followers were getting frustrated. 

 

“How fast can you run?” Beau asked somberly, as they approached a corner. Caleb scoffed in response, which was enough of an answer for her. “Hold on.” 

 

As soon as they rounded a corner, Beau broke into a sprint, catching Caleb’s wrist and dragging him along to the very next corner she saw, bolting around it and only slowing down a little to let Caleb regain his footing.

 

“Come on, we have to keep moving.” She urged, keeping up a jog down the quiet, narrow and annoyingly long street they found themselves in. 

 

A shout behind them.

 

“ _Shit_ -” Beau swore and picked up her pace again. Caleb was keeping up as well as he could, but there was nowhere for them to go but forward.

 

Sound like thunder cracked the air.

 

“They have guns!” Caleb called out, voice edged with panic. Further in the distance, she heard screams.

 

“ _Seriously_?” Beau hissed, only redoubling her efforts, running in a loose zig-zag pattern and trying not to leave Caleb behind. “Come on!” 

 

It worked for a while, a couple more shots fired down the street that Beau heard strike the stone walls of buildings next to them, tiny pieces of shrapnel stinging her arms. 

 

Another shot.

 

Caleb cried out in pain, stumbling to his knees, Beau’s momentum jerking her to a stop. 

 

“Oi!” Came the shouts from further down the street.

 

“Caleb!” Beau tried to pull him up as Caleb hissed, pressing one hand over his leg, the other fumbling in his coat for who knew what. 

 

“Stop!” Beau looked up to see the two men, both wielding handguns pointed at her. 

 

Her eyes flickered to Caleb, who staggered back to the ground, grinding his teeth together and staring at the guns. 

 

Shit. 

 

“What do you want?” She called out, stepping slightly in front of Caleb and holding her arms out to try and seem bigger than she really was. The men were both taller than her, and broader too. If it were hand to hand, she _might_ have had a shot at taking them on long enough to get a few lucky hits and make a run for it, but with guns involved and Caleb already hit? Way too much risk. “You trying to rob us?” 

 

One of the men laughed hollowly. “Oh no, but you’re welcome to give us your money now. Saves us having to pick it off your corpse.” 

 

“Woah- that seems a bit intense, don’t you think?” Beau tried to keep her tone neutral. “We haven’t done anything to you, this doesn’t have to end _violently_.” 

 

“What you’ve done to us is irrelevant. It’s our employer that matters.” The other man sneered, looking directly at her. Great, so this was a her problem, not a Caleb problem. 

 

“Employer?” She asked, running through a list of names in her head. Had she done anything to piss off the Gentleman? No, he hadn’t given her any indication of that, and most of her jobs for him had gone smoothly since the banquet. Plus, he generally preferred intimidation before assassination. Anyone else in the gang? They’d probably just confront her under the Evening Nip directly, not go to these kinds of measures. 

 

“Yes. Apparently a Mr. Onezza wasn’t very happy with you invading his home, stealing his belongings, and then showing your face at a charity banquet.” The first man said, and Beau’s eyes widened. 

 

That little _prick-_

 

Onezza hadn’t been at the banquet, she knew that for sure. But other members of the City Council were… and a photographer had been roaming around, as much as she’d tried to avoid him. If Onezza had spotted her in a photograph and then one of the people she’d talked to that night had identified her… who knew what kind of strings he might have pulled to try and track her down, even with a fake name to slow things down. 

 

She mustn’t have been able to stop the recognition from showing on her face, because the men’s sneer only deepened, and they stepped forward. If Onezza had hired them to kill her, she didn’t have many other cards to play. She certainly wouldn't have enough to bribe them.

 

But she did have one idea. “Onezza’s a coward. The Gentleman was the one who ordered that job and he knew it. I was just the messenger.” She spat the words out, to immediate effect.

 

The men froze, genuine surprise crossing their faces, followed by indecision. If there was one name every criminal worth their salt in Zadash knew, it was the Gentleman’s. 

 

“The Gentleman?” The second man asked. “You work for the Gentleman?”

 

“Yes. Onezza does too. He tried to back out of a deal and I got sent to convince him otherwise.” Beau hadn’t dared take her eyes off the men to check how Caleb was doing, or what he was doing, but she could hear him breathing, not moving perhaps for fear of being shot by a trigger-happy assassin. “End of story.” 

 

“The Gentleman… everyone knows you don’t fuck with the Gentleman.” The first man lowered his gun to pinch the bridge of his nose and whisper in his companion’s ear. 

 

In the moment of distraction, Beau looked to Caleb. He’d actually climbed to his feet almost silently and had managed to subtly back away about five feet behind Beau while she’d been talking, his face carefully schooled and one hand still hidden inside his coat, probably stuck there now since if he tried to remove it, the assassins would likely think he was trying to bring out a weapon of his own. 

 

“Godsdamnit…” The men were muttering to one another now, and Beau chanced a step back, feeling a little bit of hope bloom when they didn’t seem to notice. 

 

She took another step back, only for them to look at her again, and that little bit of hope curled up inside, extinguished like a match. Shit. Shit shit shit-

 

“The Gentleman… Onezza’s gonna have some fucking explaining to do.” One of the men was muttering, but the other looked stony, and Beau could see his intent in his eyes even as he raised his gun again.

 

“Now _we_ need to run damage control.” 

 

“Woah, woah, wai-” 

 

Pain ripped through her stomach, then again in her chest, and again somewhere else, not even able to tell where. She stumbled back a step, hands pressing against her front and coming away red.

 

At the same moment the third bullet fired there was a searing heat at her back, a crackling in her ears and copper-tinged blood pooling in her mouth. 

 

Then yellow and orange flames were blooming past her in an utterly unexplainable inferno, and Beau could only hear faint screaming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> whoopsies 
> 
> [dab]


	39. Caleb

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Beau and Caleb get to leave work early after an extraordinarily quiet day and begin to walk home together, chatting about upcoming holidays and Jester's birthday, which Beau can't think of a perfect present for. While they are chatting, Beau notices two men that had been in the library following them, and they try to lose them, taking turns and diverting away from their regular path home. Ultimately, they end up in a confrontation after Caleb gets hit, where the men reveal they had been sent by Kairen Onezza, to which Beau responds by telling them that she had only intimidated Onezza on order from the Gentleman, which the men had not known. Perturbed by potentially getting on the Gentleman's bad side, the men decide that the best course of action is damage control, which involves shooting Beau.

He stared.

 

The fire petered out in front of him, a single burst enough to send the hitmen scrambling back, running in the opposite direction, patting down their clothes and shrieking in pain. 

 

Caleb stared, hearing nothing but white noise, head pounding with fear and regret. 

 

Then Beau stumbled to her knees next to him and reality came pounding at the door again.

 

Beau made an awful hacking sound, and Caleb turned all his attention to her. 

 

“Beauregard!” She curled forwards, drawing in sharp, uneven breaths, and Caleb pushed her up against the brick wall of the house they were in front of, looking over his shoulder to check the assassins had truly fled. 

 

There was no sign of them, but he did see a few people cautiously approaching, obviously regular civilians from the way they were gawking. Unimportant. 

 

“Caleb-” Beau was pressing both her hands across her chest, already stained with slick red blood, some of it smeared across her mouth. “Caleb we gotta go-”

 

“I know, stay still-” His heart was pounding but he was not allowed to panic now, silently trying to categorise Beau’s injuries. Three shots that had seemed to hit. One in her stomach area, which could have hit any number of organs from her actual stomach to her intestines to her kidneys- too many. Too many possibilities. 

 

Another seemed to have scraped through the top of her shoulder, blood oozing out of the wound at an alarming rate. The third he couldn’t tell, but since he could see nothing else it must’ve been somewhere else in her chest, hidden by Beau’s clothes and hands. Her ribs? Her lungs? 

 

He pressed his hands down over the wound in her stomach, wincing at the low groan she emitted when he did. 

 

“Caleb-” Beau repeated, before sucking in a horrible sounding breath. “Jester- I gotta get to Jester, she’ll fix it-”

 

“You cannot move,” Caleb said, horror dawning on him as he realised it. He looked around again, seeing some more people approach, some of them already with phones out, some racing towards them. “Beau, you are gravely injured.” 

 

“Jes can fix it.” Beau made a movement that may have been an attempt to get up, but her body was shaking beyond her control now, face contorted in pain, each word an effort. “I- I _can’t_ go to the hospital, Caleb- Jester can come here. Or Cad.”

 

They were still at least twenty-five minutes from home on foot. By car, it could be shorter, but at this point in the day, many people were heading home and the streets would be busy. Too busy. 

 

“They won’t make it in time, Beau.” He said breathlessly. 

 

“Please- please, Caleb-” One of Beau’s hands reached for his coat, her fingers slipping and tears mixing in with the blood smeared on her face. “No hospital. The police can find me there and then everything will be _fucked_.”

 

“I know. I know.” Caleb kept pressing down the wound, trying to think of a solution. He wanted to stay away from a hospital as much as Beau did. 

 

He’d performed magic. Very flashy, very visible magic. With witnesses. There was no way that wasn’t going to find its way into a police report. 

 

Trying to swallow down the urge to throw up, Caleb focused on keeping pressure on Beau’s injuries. A halfling man suddenly appeared next to him, appearing frantic. 

 

“I’m a nurse, I’m a nurse-” He said quickly when Caleb’s first instinct was to try to push him away. “Was she shot?” 

 

Caleb stared at the halfling for a moment before his gaze flickered to Beau, who had a thin stream of blood dribbling from the corner of her mouth, her grip on his coat weakening with each second.

 

“Yes.” He finally said, hearing the thin waver in his voice. “Three times.” 

 

“Alright, we need to stop this bleeding.” The halfling seemed to be talking for Caleb’s benefit, which would probably be helpful if Caleb weren’t already painfully aware of what they had to do. He called over some more people for help, asking for bandages or pieces of cloth or anything that could be used to plug the wounds. 

 

“An ambulance is coming! And the police!” Some person shouted out, and Caleb winced, biting his tongue. Beau, at least, didn’t seem to hear, which may have been a good thing considering she was _still_ trying to drag herself to her feet, despite getting absolutely nowhere. 

 

“Ma’am, you need to stay still-” The halfling was at least competent, having found the third bullet wound where Caleb had not, just under her chest right through her ribs. He’d called someone else to put pressure on the wound on her collarbone, which had the added effect of making it a lot more difficult for Beau to get up, but she wasn’t stopping her attempts. 

 

“Beau, Beau, please.” Caleb pushed down harder on her stomach with one hand, grabbing her hand with the other and squeezing tight. Her eyes were wild and it took her a moment to focus them on him, inhaling a hitched and shuddering breath. 

 

“I _can’t_ , Caleb, I can’t go there-”

 

“I can’t either, I know.” Caleb ignored the sideways glance the halfling gave him, focusing on Beau. “We will figure something out.” 

 

She didn’t look like she believed him, but she stopped resisting. The darker parts of his brain suggested that that was because of the blood loss. Caleb didn’t let go of her hand, silently counting the seconds until he heard sirens, feeling a wave of relief when an ambulance appeared rather than a police car.

 

He would have to deal with the police eventually. But not yet. 

 

The paramedics were quick, not asking questions yet beyond the essentials. Beau went rigid as they approached and Caleb didn’t let go of her hand, following her to the ambulance and nearly stumbling when he stood up, having forgotten entirely that he had been shot as well. At least that meant he was instantly bustled into the ambulance as well. 

 

The trip was busy, Caleb curled into a corner of the ambulance at Beau’s head, out of the way of the paramedics trying to stem the bleeding. One of them took a cursory look at his leg before declaring it stable enough for now and giving him some painkillers, before focusing on the far more dire injuries in front of them. 

 

They asked him questions, seemingly as many as they could think of. Her name (he told them her fake one), what had happened, her blood type, whether she had any family. He didn’t know the answers to a lot of the questions. 

 

Beau was silent, her eyes squeezed shut and her body stiff, chest shuddering with each breath. Her grip on his hand was weak, slippery with blood, but she held on. 

 

There was a type of kinship in it, as terrible of a situation as they were in. Caleb didn’t know everything Beau had done in her life, and she knew very little of what he had done in his, but both of them seemed to operate under the same kind of rules. Do what was necessary to survive, to even thrive if they were lucky, but stay under the radar. 

 

To be holed up in a hospital was almost the same as a death sentence for people like them. With police certain to be involved — a shooting, in broad daylight, in one of the busiest parts of town, _with_ magic involved? It was guaranteed — then their ambulance may as well have been a prison bus. Police would arrive to collect statements, they’d do their investigation, they’d find all the little inconsistencies about them and the lives they had attempted to craft, and then it would all come crashing down around them.

 

Thus far, Caleb had survived by escaping the scene before they had the chance to catch him about those inconsistencies. Being in a hospital (even worse, being _injured_ in a hospital) left them with precious few exits. 

 

“You need to let go, sir, she has to go to surgery.” One of the paramedics had a gentle hand on Caleb’s shoulder, and he realised with sinking horror that they had arrived. 

 

Beau had been transferred to a gurney and was being wheeled straight past nurses and workers and other patients, and they were approaching a large door. 

 

Surgery. Beau needed surgery. They wouldn’t want to discharge her for at least a night then. Too much time. 

 

Still, Caleb let go, and he missed the sensation as soon as it was gone. 

 

A nurse took him through to a room to check his leg. He had been extraordinarily lucky, considering. It had gone through his flesh close to the top of his thigh, missing all the important arteries and bones. There was a lot of blood, and quite a few stitches, but he would likely get away without even much permanent muscle damage. An inch to the right and he wouldn’t have been hit at all. Still, he had been lucky. 

 

The nurse who told him that had said it with a smile, but Caleb just felt the pit in his stomach grow. An inch to the right and perhaps they would have been able to escape. Perhaps they would not be here at all. 

 

Once his leg had been treated and cleaned up, he was sent to a waiting room and handed a stack of forms. He filled out his own (with entirely false information) and part of Beau’s, using her fake name. She would probably appreciate that. 

 

Then he was finally left alone, and he could breathe for the first time since the bullets had been fired. 

  
It just left his chest feeling hollow. 

 

His hands ached for Frumpkin, but he hadn’t thought to summon him in the moments immediately after the attack, and here he was too vulnerable. Too exposed. Someone would see him summon him and then they would ask questions that he knew were coming regardless but he wasn’t ready for them yet. 

 

His fingers fumbled with his phone, only to hover over his contacts list. Jester and Fjord would need to know about this. 

 

He called Nott instead. 

 

“Hello?” Nott always sounded suspicious whenever she first answered a phone, even though it told her who was calling.

 

“It’s me, Nott.” 

 

“Caleb! What’s up?” Nott’s voice instantly cheered up, before there was a pause. “Is something wrong?”

 

“I’m at the hospital.” Caleb held his phone a little away from his ear in anticipation of the panicked screeching that ensued, placing it back after the tinny noise faded. 

 

“ _Hospital?_ What are you doing there?! Are you hurt? Are the police there? _Shit-_ which hospital?” Her words blurred together over the phone, Caleb’s head throbbing.

 

“Platinum Dragon General,” Caleb said. “Opposite the temple. I am fine.” 

 

“Why are you there? What _happened?_ ” 

 

“It is Beaure-” Caleb hesitated, looking around the waiting room. There were a few other people there, most either talking to someone else or otherwise minding their own business. But this was not a place to be carelessly tossing around real names. “It is Beau. She was attacked.” 

 

Another round of shrieking. 

 

“She is in surgery,” Caleb said after Nott had quieted down again. “Please, tell Jester and Fjord to come if they are able. I think Miss Gagnon will want their company once she is out.”

 

He felt a little awkward, but he didn’t know how else to tell them _not_ to ask after Beau by her actual name at the front desk. Not that he knew her actual surname. Hopefully, Nott would understand his meaning. 

 

“I will! I’ll go over there right now- Holy _shit_ \- Do you need anything else? Anything?” 

 

“Some clean clothes. For Beau too. Thank you.” 

 

“I’m on my way! Don’t worry, Caleb, I’ll be there so quickly. Don’t talk to _any_ strangers! _Especially_ the police!” 

 

Goodbyes were quick and strained and then Caleb was alone again. He counted the minutes, keeping an eye on every person in the room, cataloguing every camera he saw. 

 

It had been twenty-three before the door opened and Nott, Jester, and Fjord were at his side, mouths open with questions spilling out of them like a cup overflowing with water. Finally Nott got them both to shut up, her hands resting on Caleb’s knees.

 

“Caleb? Are you okay?” 

 

Inhale. “Ja. Ja, I’m sorry, just a little out of sorts.” 

 

“What happened?” Fjord asked. He was tense, with a backpack on his back and Jester holding on tight to his arm. 

 

Jester, for her part, looked one second away from crying. She also had a backpack on, and she was biting her lip, fingers digging into Fjord’s arm and tail swaying jerkily behind her. 

 

Caleb glanced around and saw no one else looking their way. 

 

“She was shot, three times.” He pointed vaguely to the places where Beau had been shot on his own body. 

 

“She’ll be okay, though, right?” Jester’s voice wavered.

 

“They’d have clerics in here, surely.” Fjord said. 

 

“Y-yes, they should. But clerics in any hospital are spread thin. If she is not actively dying, they will do what they can without magic.” Caleb said.

 

“But Beau’s not dying, right?” Nott was wearing the heavy hoodie she wore when she wanted to be extra discreet, but Caleb could see how wide her eyes were inside of it. 

 

“Nein, I do not think so.” Caleb tried to sound reassuring but did not think himself successful. “I heard the nurses talking when we arrived, they think her chances are good.” She would survive, but that wasn’t the hard part. It would be everything that came afterward.

 

“What about you?” Nott asked. “Are you okay?”

 

“I am fine.” Caleb rested one of his hands over Nott’s, forcing a small smile. She didn’t smile back, but nodded slightly, before perking up.

 

“Oh! We brought clean clothes for you, and Beau, just like you asked.” She removed her hands from his knees to tug on the backpack on Fjord’s back, digging through once an indignant Fjord managed to get it off himself and pulling out a small plastic bag with clothes in it. “These are for you, and I also brought your other scarf just in case. And a jumper.” 

 

“Thank you, my friend.” Caleb took the offered clothes, his gaze flickering up to Fjord and Jester. Though Nott had relaxed a little since they’d arrived and started talking, both of them were still tense and stiff. He hadn’t even told them everything yet. 

 

“We brought some food too.” Fjord nudged Jester into the seat next to Caleb, before sitting on her other side. “I don’t know if you’re hungry-”

 

“You can have some chips. Original flavour.” Jester interrupted, pulling off her own backpack and digging through it. “I-there’s some jerky too but that’s for Beau.” 

 

“I’m not hungry.” Caleb’s throat felt dry, and he cleared his throat. “But perhaps some water?” 

 

Nott had a water bottle shoved in his face only a moment later, and Fjord grumbled about her offering _his_ water bottle before quickly reassuring Caleb that he didn’t mind if he used it. 

 

“So, once Beau gets out of surgery and she feels better we’ll get to go home, right?” Jester asked after the four of them had sat in a thick, heavy silence. 

 

“It won’t be that easy.” Fjord leaned forward, frowning. “She doesn’t have any kind of insurance or records, we don’t know how long she’ll have to stay… or she might need physical therapy, checkups…”

 

“I can-” Jester caught herself, her eyes flickering around suspiciously before she lowered her voice and continued. “I can heal her at home, can’t I? That should fix anything they don’t fix in surgery.”

 

“We’ll still need to worry about this hospital stay.” Fjord said, before softening a little at Jester's expression. “We’ll work it out. The paperwork will just be a nightmare.” 

 

Caleb swallowed, the pit in his stomach now more like an endless void. “That’s not the biggest problem.” 

 

Three sets of eyes stared at him, and Caleb could see Fjord’s face in particular drain. He’d already been worried about it, then. Already thinking of the worst scenarios while Jester and Nott had assumed this was just a freak accident.

 

“She was targeted.” He whispered, and Fjord’s hissed curse confirmed his suspicion. Jester just gasped, and Nott’s head swivelled between him and the others. “And I used magic.”

 

Now Nott swore, jumping onto the seat next to Caleb and tugging on his coat. “Did anyone see you?” 

 

“Yes. Probable witnesses and definitely evidence.” 

 

“Shit. _Shit._ ” Nott wrung her hands together. “We have to get out of here, don’t we?” 

 

He didn’t confirm nor deny, because Nott already knew. If he were smart, he would’ve left the hospital already. If he changed into his clean clothes, no one would know he was injured and he could perhaps simply walk out. 

 

“Was it the Gentleman? Did he send someone after her?” Fjord hissed, leaning slightly over Jester. 

 

Caleb shook his head. “Someone named Onezza. I think Beau had a previous encounter with him, and he wanted revenge.” 

 

Neither Jester nor Fjord seemed familiar with the name, but their obvious stress had increased tenfold. 

 

“Oh no… what if they try to hurt her again?” Jester hugged her backpack to her chest, her hands noticeably trembling. 

 

“I doubt the same people will try to come back,” Caleb said, feeling like he owed them at least _some_ reassurance. “I believe I scared them away quite well.” 

 

Jester, at least, seemed a little mollified by that, nodding slightly, while Fjord just leaned back in his seat, exhaling heavily and furrowing his brow. 

 

“Okay. We planned for this. Well, this isn’t exactly how I thought it would happen, but we have _a_ plan.” It was unclear who exactly Fjord was trying to appease, putting a hand on Jester’s shoulder and looking in Caleb’s direction while his other hand scratched at his neck. “We just need to take it one step at a time.”

 

“Right, right. It’ll be okay.” Jester murmured, and Caleb had a feeling that she and Fjord had been repeating sentiments like that the entire trip here. 

 

“What about us, Caleb?” Nott whispered, not quiet enough that Jester or Fjord couldn’t hear, but soft enough that it obviously wasn’t supposed to include them. “What are we going to do?”

 

The smart thing to do would be to leave now. Get a headstart on packing before the police arrived looking for him. He might be able to get away clean if he did. 

 

Beau, on the other hand, likely would not. 

 

He could feel Fjord and Jester looking at him, not expectantly, just… waiting. 

 

“We… I would like to wait.” He finally said, looking down at his knees to avoid the gaze of either of his three friends. “To make sure Beau will be alright.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha so uh fun cliffhanger last week amiright?  
> anyway to make up for it u get this chapter a day early!!! Because I now have uni on tuesdays so I'm bumping up my schedule a day as well. Hooray!!!! You can now expect chapters monday mornings aussie time yeehaw
> 
> And congratulations caleb u r the proud recipient of the only chapter in this story (that ive written so far) not to be from beau, jester or fjords POV, because beau was kinda busy this chapter
> 
> anyway, looks like this issue won't have a very simple solution


	40. Fjord 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Caleb, panicking and faced with a grievously injured Beau, manages to scare away their attackers with a fiery (and mostly illegal) display of magic, but soon realises that he and Beau were going to be in a lot of trouble. Too far away for any of their other friends to arrive in time to help, they find themselves taken to hospital, where Beau is whisked away for surgery and Caleb is forced to try and do damage control, to avoid disclosing any of Beau's illegal activities or any of his own. Nott, Jester and Fjord eventually arrive, and the four of them wait for Beau's surgery to finish, unsure of what is going to happen next.

He’d been worried about this. 

 

This wasn’t how Fjord had imagined it going down, but he’d been worried about this. When Nott had burst into their apartment screeching about Beau and Caleb being _shot_ , he’d thought it had simply been bad luck. Wrong place, wrong time, kind of deal. 

 

More accurately, he’d _hoped_ that’s all it was. 

 

After all, _Caleb_ wasn’t part of the Gentleman’s gang. Ever since the incident back in Horisal, he’d been mentally prepared for Beau getting arrested, or ending up in hospital in the middle of the night and _then_ getting arrested. He’d hoped it wouldn’t happen, and Beau had proven adept enough at avoiding legal trouble thus far, but he’d always had the possibility at the back of his mind, just in case. 

 

They’d talked about plans for this kind of scenario, but most of them involved bail money and the kinds of fake names and information to tell the police. They hadn’t expected Caleb to be involved. They hadn’t expected magic to be involved, or a shootout in broad daylight. 

 

It wasn’t often a firefight with literal fire popped up in Zadash, so there was no way this was going to be swept under the rug as a regular gang bust might be. 

 

This is what he’d been afraid of when he first found out Beau was actually in a gang, but the money it brought in had been lucrative enough for him to convince himself the risk was worth it. 

 

Now Beau was in surgery, possibly critically injured, thanks to people who may or may not have been successfully scared away by Caleb’s probably illegal magic, which would get the police onto the case like a moth to a flame, which would end in Beau, Caleb, and possibly the rest of them investigated far more thoroughly than they otherwise would be. 

 

If it came down to it, most of them could probably claim plausible deniability, which Beau had made them promise to do (whether either of them had planned to keep that promise was a different story). _If_ she got caught, she didn’t want the rest of them going down with her. But Beau… he couldn’t see an easy way out of this for her. 

 

It didn’t seem worth it anymore. 

 

The four of them, Fjord, Jester, Caleb, and Nott, stayed sitting in the waiting area for minutes that felt like they stretched into hours. Caleb had gotten changed into clean clothes, but kept his bloodstained coat on. Fjord sent a message to Tarla to tell them he had an emergency and likely wouldn’t make it to work, and then another to Yasha to explain, and then to Caduceus so he wouldn’t be left out of the loop. Every now and then Jester got up to find someone to ask about Beau, and every time she returned with a despondent ‘they said they’ll come get us’. 

 

Fjord figured that as long as they weren’t being told anything, it meant nothing bad had happened, but Jester got more restless the more time passed, and soon it was infecting him as well. He managed to distract her by asking about some of the commissions she’d done recently, which passed some time before a nurse or someone stepped into the room, asking for the family of a Miss Gagnon.

 

It took a moment for Fjord to remember that that meant Beau, but as soon as he did he was on his feet, the others all joining him immediately. 

 

“You’re… all her family?” The nurse raised an eyebrow at them all, and they exchanged brief looks.

 

Fjord cleared his throat, feeling Jester’s hands gripping onto his wrist. “We’re her friends and roommates. She doesn’t have any family in the city.” 

 

“I see. Are any family members on their way?” 

 

He hesitated. “Uh- no. Are we allowed to see her?”

 

“Yes… who will need to know about her recovery? Who does she live with?” 

 

“I’m her roommate.” Fjord said, shooting a quick, reassuring glance at Jester. “What can you tell us?”

 

The nurse finally seemed satisfied, turning and leading them down the web of wards and hallways as she continued speaking. “She required a blood transfusion, but her surgery went well. Barring any unexpected complications, she should make a full recovery.” 

 

“That’s good.” Fjord breathed out a genuine sigh of relief, even though he knew that Jester would probably shove as much of her magic into Beau to heal her as soon as they got out of the hospital. 

 

“She woke up a little while ago, so the anesthesia should have mostly worn off, but she might be a bit dazed still. She was very eager to leave.” The nurse looked down at her clipboard, before tossing them a look over her shoulder. “Are any of you, by chance, a Caleb Widogast?” 

 

“That would be me,” Caleb said after a moment, and the nurse nodded. 

 

“She asked after you specifically.” Caleb nodded in response to that, Nott pressed against his side, almost entirely unnoticed by anyone they passed.

 

“How long will she have to stay here?” Jester piped up for the first time since the nurse had arrived.

 

The nurse didn’t respond for a few long moments, looking down at the clipboard again. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to tell you that.”

 

That set off more than one alarm bell in Fjord’s head, faintly buzzing but not yet blaring. But then again, his alarm bells had been ringing since they’d got here. 

 

They definitely started blaring when they got to Beau’s room and there was a police officer standing outside. 

 

The police officer checked the nurse’s ID before letting them pass, fixing them all with an appraising, but not suspicious look. Fjord returned the glance, but he could sense the others shrinking back, tension clear in their postures and expressions. 

 

“Visiting hours end at eight, by the way.” The nurse said quietly, before closing the door.

 

Only one bed was in the room, with an uncomfortable-looking chair next to it underneath a window that had the curtains drawn back, letting in the early-evening light. A steady beeping pierced the air every few seconds, and some medical machines were set up behind the bed. 

 

In the bed itself, Beau had been staring out the window when they’d walked in, dressed in a hospital gown with her hair down. She was propped up and leaning against some pillows, and Fjord could hear a light wheezing when she breathed in. 

 

Then she turned her head, and her eyes widened when she saw them. 

 

“Jester- Fjord-” She cleared her throat, pushing herself up into more of a sitting position with visible effort.

 

“Omigosh Beau,” They’d all crossed over to her in seconds, Jester instinctively going in for a hug before hesitating. “Does it hurt?” 

 

“Nah, nah, ‘s all good,” Beau said, her hands grabbing fistfuls of the blanket, her head hung when Jester compromised on the hug by loosely putting an arm around her shoulders before drawing back. She glanced up, not looking any of them in the eye but checking who was in the room. “Caleb, how you doing?”

 

“I am fine,” Caleb said, shifting a little uneasily. Beau tilted her head at him, her eyes slightly unfocused.

 

“You sure? You look pale as fuck. I thought Nott woulda had you in a gurney yourself.” Her words slurred together a little bit, and everyone else immediately looked at Caleb. 

 

“Why would Caleb need a gurney?” Fjord asked, one eyebrow raised. 

 

“Cause he got shot?” Beau squinted at them, but anything else she might’ve said was quickly overruled by twin gasps. 

 

“ _Caleb!”_ Nott jumped back a bit, planting her hands on her hips. “You didn’t tell us _that_!” 

 

His cheeks flushed, Caleb didn’t hesitate to defend himself. “It is very minor, I have dealt with worse-” 

 

“It’s a _gunshot_!” Jester exclaimed. “Where?”

 

Caleb sighed, pointing to a spot on his upper thigh. There were more gasps, and both Nott and Jester refused to cease until Caleb was sat in the singular chair in the room, where he looked quite glum. 

 

Fjord watched Nott fuss over Caleb for a while, before sidling up to the side of Beau’s hospital bed. She was stiff, having let go of the blanket but now scratching at her arms. “You actually feeling okay?” 

 

“Doesn’t hurt.” Beau murmured, and Jester’s attention was immediately caught by Beau speaking, turning her away from Caleb. “They gave me a lot of drugs.” 

 

“Mmhmm.” Wasn’t what he’d meant, but he’d let it slide. “Caleb said you were targeted.” 

 

Beau froze, her exhale a rough, shaky thing. “Yeah.” 

 

“Will they come back?” 

 

“...Don’t know.”

 

“There was a police officer outside your door,” Jester said, twiddling her thumbs. 

 

“A police officer?” Beau’s eyes widened, and she already looked pale but now where her skin was usually a warm brown it was ashen, desaturated. “Are there more police here?”

 

“We haven’t seen any others,” Jester said.

 

“Right.” Beau slowly pulled her legs up underneath her blanket, now fiddling with the edge, fingers trembling. 

 

“It’ll be okay, once we get out of the hospital you’ll be alright,” Jester said. 

 

“What about the Gentleman? What will he do if he finds out about this?” Fjord asked, keeping his voice low when he named the Gentleman. 

 

Beau grimaced, looking down at her hands. “He’ll be pissed Onezza tried to mess with him again. But if the police come by, and he thinks I talked to them…” 

 

“He wouldn’t think you’re a snitch, would he?” Nott asked, scrunching her nose. 

 

“I don’t know if he’ll take that chance,” Beau said. “I’m gonna get arrested or assassinated.” She finally said, her tone almost painfully flat with just the slightest edge of panic. 

 

“No, you’re not!” Jester said, wide-eyed.

 

At that moment, the door to the room opened again, and all of them stiffened, five faces snapping to the door and staring as two police officers walked in. One had a badge on his chest that denoted some kind of rank, while the other was obviously just following. Or backup. 

 

“Sorry to interrupt.” The ranked officer said, holding up a hand in a loose hello/I’m not going to hurt you, promise that none of them trusted. 

 

He was tall, a human man with lightly tanned skin and mousey brown hair. He was carrying his police cap in his free hand, perhaps in an attempt to appear casual. Or maybe just because he was indoors. Fjord wasn’t sure which he believed. The other officer was a human woman, with brown skin, textured hair pulled back into a bun and a very serious expression on her face. 

 

“I’m Sergeant Ritlock, this is Officer Lenore.” The ranked officer said, gesturing to himself and the woman. “We heard Miss Gagnon had woken up.”

 

Fjord cast his eyes towards Beau, not turning his back on the police. Beau had frozen up like the rest of them when the door had opened, the edges of the blanket bunched in her hands with a white-knuckled grip, her eyes narrowed and either not trying to hide her suspicion, or still weaning off the drugs enough that she wasn’t able to do it as well as she normally could. 

 

“Is something wrong?” Jester asked, her voice wavering. It would be an excellent act of a worried friend if Fjord weren’t certain that it wasn’t an act at all. She was in between the police and Beau’s hospital bed, almost blocking their view of her entirely. Fjord hovered around the corner of the bed, while Caleb and Nott were on the other side, Caleb shrinking down into his chair and Nott almost invisible from how close she was pressed up against it. 

 

“That’s what we’re trying to find out, ma’am.” Ritlock nodded politely, the two officers stepping closer but not getting within three feet of any of them. “It’s an unusual situation you’ve found yourself in, Miss Gagnon.” 

 

Beau was still glaring at him, not even opening her mouth to say anything, so Fjord cleared his throat. “What do you need?”

 

“Just a statement. We’re still trying to find out what exactly happened. Lots of people heard things and saw the aftermath, but there aren’t many direct witnesses, so anything you can tell us would be helpful.” Ritlock pulled out a small notepad, a perfectly personable smile on his face. It didn’t reach his eyes. 

 

“I got shot.” Beau’s words sounded forced like they’d been dragged over sandpaper before they left her throat. 

 

“I understand that.” Ritlock nodded, even writing something down. The tension in the room was heavy and humid, and Fjord could feel the unease crackling off the others like springs wound up and waiting to be let go. If they said the wrong thing here, things could go very badly very quickly. 

 

He couldn’t help but wonder why the officers had arrived while Beau was technically still weaning off the anesthesia. Perhaps they’d hoped to get information she wouldn’t otherwise reveal. 

 

“Can you tell us about your attackers? Gender, age, height.” Officer Lenore asked.

 

“You don’t know who did it yet?” Fjord cut in, anything to keep them from looking at Beau for too long. “Or where they are?”

 

“We have another team combing the city for them now, but we don’t have a perfect description,” Ritlock said. “I assure you, we’re doing everything we can, but Miss Gagnon’s help would be tremendously appreciated.” 

 

“There were two of them,” Beau said. “Both men. Both human, I think.” 

 

“One had a scar on his arm.” Fjord was surprised to hear Caleb’s voice, and the police seemed surprised too, as if they hadn’t even noticed he was there until now.

 

Caleb was still sitting in the chair, tracing a line along his right forearm. 

 

“I’m sorry- you must be… Mr. Widogast?” Ritlock said, after peering down at his notepad. 

 

There was a short silence, and Caleb nodded.

 

“I see. I thought you had already been cleared to leave the hospital?”

 

“I wanted to see my friend.” Caleb’s tone was almost painfully even, not the slightly stilted neutral it usually was. 

 

“Of course, of course. The two of you were out together, correct?” 

 

“We work together. We were walking home.” Caleb said. “The men surprised us and attacked us.”

 

“They just appeared? Did they try to rob you? Make any threats?” Ritlock dutifully wrote everything down, and Fjord noticed Beau’s head slowly turn towards Caleb, her eyes narrowing. 

 

“They tried to rob us, I think. But, uh, we tried to resist. Perhaps not very smart.” Caleb chuckled hollowly, his fingers twitching. 

 

“Then what?” Ritlocked asked. 

 

“Then they pulled out the guns, and we knew we were in trouble, so we offered to give them our wallets and phones, but when we tried to escape, they shot, and created the fire.” 

 

Fjord knew for certain that Caleb was lying, though he didn’t know what other details were fake. Beau certainly wasn’t saying anything to dispute it, and the police didn’t seem to know enough about the situation yet to either.

 

He was buying them time. 

 

“The magical fire?” Lenore asked, and Caleb shrugged.

 

“I do not know if it could be anything but magic.” He said, holding up his coat, which had singed edges. His coat had been like that since Fjord had first met him, but the police didn’t know that. “I was able to dodge behind some stairs. I-I think my friend had already fallen to the ground by then.” 

 

“Don’t you keep records of magic users?” Fjord asked. “Can’t you find ones that can use fire?”

 

“That kind of thing can be complicated.” Ritlock held up a placating hand. “But it can certainly narrow down our list of suspects. You said one had a scar? The one who did magic?”

 

“I’m not certain.” Caleb shook his head. “I am sorry.” 

 

“You don’t need to be. Unless there’s anything else either of you might think is relevant, I think we’ve taken up enough of your time.” Ritlock said. None of them offered anything more information. 

 

“If I may, can I ask why there’s a police officer in front of Beau’s door?” Fjord asked, keeping his hands at his side. 

 

The officers exchanged a quick look, so quick he almost missed it. Then Ritlock exhaled, and suddenly Fjord felt like he could see the cracks in Ritlock’s persona. They knew more than they were letting on, or they at least suspected it. 

 

“A precaution. With a possible rogue magic user involved and unknown motives, we thought it better to be safe than sorry. He won’t need to come into your room at any point, so you’ll have your privacy, I promise.” 

 

“I don’t need a police officer outside my room,” Beau said, her shoulders stiff. 

 

“It was… a random attack, there’s no worry someone will come after her, is there?” Fjord asked.

 

“Most likely not, from what you’ve told me. But it’s just procedure. Once you’re discharged, or we catch the attackers, whichever comes first, you’ll be free to go again.”

 

Out of the corner of his eyes, Fjord saw Jester’s eyes narrow. “She’s not free to go _now_?” She asked, her previous slightly-exaggerated hysteria now tinged with wariness. 

 

Ritlock visibly winced, before collecting himself. “A… poor choice of words. I promise you, he’s there for your safety. But I’m afraid Officer Lenore and I have to go. We’ll be in touch.” 

 

They quickly vacated, and all of them held their breaths, waiting for one moment, then another, then another, before finally turning to each other again. 

 

“They’re so onto me,” Beau whispered, pulling at a chunk of her hair. “I’m gonna die.”

 

“You’re not going to die, Beau,” Jester said, taking Beau’s hand before she could pull her hair out. “We’ll get you out of here, promise.” 

 

“I do not think they have evidence to accuse us of anything besides what we say we are yet,” Caleb said, sitting up straighter in his chair now that the police were gone. “Nothing that isn’t circumstantial, at least.”

 

“But they suspect you of something,” Fjord said.

 

Caleb nodded. “Yes, they likely do. If they find anything that pokes a hole in us or our story, they will investigate deeper, and then they will find more.” 

 

“So we need to get out of here before they do,” Jester said. 

 

“That won’t be the end.” Caleb grimaced. “They know Beau as Bo Gagnon. That means they will be able to trace her as a worker at the library. They will be able to identify me as her colleague, and they will find my address.”

 

He ran a hand through his hair. “I cannot stay there any longer.” 

 

“And if they find you, it won’t be much of a stretch to find out Beau lives right next door,” Fjord said, following Caleb’s train of thought and very much hating where it was going. 

 

“Shit,” Nott muttered, still glued to Caleb’s side. “ _Shit_.”

 

“I’ll have to leave too, then,” Beau said, her face utterly falling as she said it. “Get- get out of this hospital without being caught and then… leave Zadash entirely.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wild how that happens amiright??? hahahahaha


	41. Jester 13

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Fjord, Jester, Caleb and Nott are waiting around in the hospital for Beau's surgery to end, all quietly freaking out about what they are supposed to do now. When they're finally allowed to see their friend, they discover a police officer stationed outside her door, and after talking with Beau for a little bit, are unable to come up with a way to get them all out of there before two more officers arrive, ostensibly to collect Beau's statement. Caleb ends up giving them information, mostly bald-faced lies to imply that he and Beau had been mere victims of circumstance, but he's not confident that it will throw them off the scent for very long. Caleb decides that the best option for him and Nott is to leave the city entirely before he's discovered, and Beau decides the same.

“No!”

 

Jester covered her mouth with her hand a split second too late. Her shout cut off sharply, and in the same instant, she felt everyone’s eyes on her, the pressure and tension in the room already threatening to boil over at any moment. 

 

Beau was staring at her, and she looked so horribly _sad_ and Jester didn’t know how to fix it. 

 

“Jester-” She felt Fjord’s hand settle on her shoulder and all at once Jester found her voice again, her brain catching up to her knee-jerk reaction. 

 

“No- Beau, you can’t leave Zadash!” She couldn’t leave _her_. Her and Fjord, and the others, and- everything! “You promised you wouldn’t!” 

 

“I don’t _want_ to!” Beau made a move as if she were trying to get up, only to wince, one of the machines that Jester had managed to tune out until now starting to beep a little faster. 

 

“Beau, stay still. You got out of surgery like a couple of hours ago.” Fjord sounded surprisingly authoritative even though his face was pinched, holding his other hand up. 

 

“I don’t want to go- but what else can I do?” Beau stopped trying to move, one arm holding her stomach and her face still caught in a grimace. “If I don’t get out of here, either the police, Onezza or the Gentleman get me.”

 

“We can get you out of the hospital and then you can come back home, and we’ll lay low like we planned and you can call in sick to work and then it’ll be okay!” 

 

“We made plans for if I got arrested for breaking into a house, or if I ended up stabbed in a ditch, not _this_.” Beau tore her gaze away, her voice trembling on the last words. “We didn’t plan for this because I _knew_ there’s no way out of it that doesn’t drag you down with me. Either I get out of this city or I’m done.” 

 

“Then I’m going with you!”

 

Now both Fjord and Beau were staring at her like she’d lost her mind, Nott and Caleb watching the exchange silently over by the chair, looking very much like they felt they didn’t belong in the conversation anymore. 

 

“Jes… you can’t.” Beau shifted a little towards her instead of trying to get off the bed again, her eyes welling up. “You can’t do that.”

 

“I totally could. I’m not letting you go out there all alone.” Jester folded her arms to hide the way her hands were shaking, hoping no one was looking at how her lower lip was trembling. “I won’t, it’s not fair.” 

 

“She could come with us…” Nott said hesitantly, but Jester just shook her head.

 

“That’s not fair either! None of you should have to leave!” 

 

“I brought this upon myself, Jes. I already fucked over Caleb and Nott with this, I can’t let you do it to yourself too.” One of Beau’s hands lifted up towards her and Jester took it before she could put it back down, interlocking their fingers and staring her down.

 

“I won’t leave you. I can’t.” It was just unthinkable, but now Beau was shaking her head, though she didn’t pull her hand away. 

 

At that moment the door opened again, but there were no police officers or nurses. Instead, Yasha, Zuala and Caduceus walked in, the latter carrying a pale pink woven satchel that Jester had seen in his apartment before. He looked more distressed than Jester had ever seen him — that is, he was frowning — and Yasha was so tense she seemed ready to snap at any moment, while Zuala was obviously restless, walking in first and immediately half-jogging up to the bed.

 

“Oh my gods, I’m so sorry it took us so long to get here, I didn’t even see your text immediately and Yasha had already gone to work and I had to get her and then there was nearly an accident in front of us on the way-” Zuala stopped herself, inhaling sharply with a hand over her chest before continuing. “Are you okay?” 

 

Beau’s eyes fell to the floor, and if Jester had been holding her hand any looser she might’ve jerked it away. “‘m fine.” 

 

“She’ll be alright.” Fjord said. “We’re just… trying to figure out our next step.” 

 

Jester bit the inside of her cheek. The next step _should_ be taking Beau home, healing her up with every bit of magic that Jester could muster, and then making sure she didn’t try anything stupid the next day while she was still injured. 

 

“None of this discussion even matters if you are not able to get out of the hospital,” Caleb said tiredly, the three newcomers looking at him, confused. Fjord quickly stepped up to them, giving them a hushed summary of all the important details. 

 

With most of the others distracted, Jester squeezed Beau’s hand, catching her attention again from where it had drifted away. “I’m not leaving you.”

 

“What about Fjord?” Beau whispered, not quite meeting her eye. “You’d leave him?” 

 

Here, Jester hesitated. Would Fjord come with them? Would he want to? She didn’t want to leave him either. To think that either way she’d be losing one of them… she didn’t want to imagine it. 

 

She didn’t answer, and Beau must have taken the silence as something, glancing over at Caleb. “I’ll be alright. I won’t be alone, at least.” 

 

“That’s not the problem.” Jester felt breathless as she said it. 

 

That wasn’t the problem, was it. The thought of Beau being alone again, it was terrible. But that wasn’t _it._ The big, awful, painful to even think about reason. It was that, and the idea of Beau being away from _her._ Away from Jester, not in her life anymore.

 

The thought of waking up every morning without Beau snoring next to her made her taste bile in the back of her throat, her eyes brimming with tears. 

 

“Jes-” Beau had noticed, her eyes welling up almost in sympathy, the turmoil of the day enough to overwhelm even her, and not helped by the anaesthesia and pain. Jester didn’t think she’d ever seen Beau cry before and if she started now she didn’t think she’d be able to stop herself. 

 

Beau’s hand in hers suddenly felt as heavy as lead and simultaneously hot to the touch, and Jester impulsively let go, wiping her eyes and choking back a sob. 

 

“Okay, I think this has been a long day.” Caduceus swooped in seemingly from nowhere. “How long have you guys been here? Have you eaten?” 

 

Dimly Jester realised she _hadn’t_ eaten since lunch, and it was now dinner time. 

 

“I think that’s a good idea. Jester, maybe you can go grab something to eat. Get some air.” Fjord said, but Jester was already shaking her head furiously, hugging her arms to her chest. 

 

“No, I don’t want to go-”

 

“You need food, Jester. I’ll wait here, and then when you come back we can swap.” Fjord rested a hand on her shoulder. It was trembling. 

 

She looked up at him, seeing the thinly veiled cracks in Fjord’s expression. Behind his eyes she could see his mind racing, with emotions and questions and plans and who knew what else. 

 

“I’ll go with you, Jester,” Yasha spoke for the first time since entering the room, nodding once at Zuala and then at Jester. 

 

Jester drew in a breath, her face tight. “Fine. Okay.” 

 

She looked to Beau, whose eyes were still shimmering. She had sunk down low into her hospital bed, bunching up the blanket in her hands again, not meeting eyes with anybody.

 

“I’ll be back in like… twenty minutes.” Jester said, taking one step away from the hospital bed towards Yasha, then another. “Okay?”

 

“Okay.” Beau said quietly. 

 

Yasha didn’t say anything to her immediately after she left the hospital room, or when they walked down the hall. Once they got in the elevator, she simply mentioned that she’d seen some cafes just next door to the hospital. 

 

She hated to admit it, but fresh air helped Jester feel like she could breathe a little easier, releasing some of the tightness in her chest that she hadn’t even noticed was there. Some distance from it all kept it from being so overwhelming, but at the same time, it just made it sharper. 

 

“This is awful, Yasha.” She said, “Everything’s terrible.” 

 

“I’m sorry, Jester.” Yasha walked close enough that Jester’s arms brushed against hers as they walked, though she was hesitant to reach out and hug her or anything. “Hospitals are terrible places.” 

 

“But even if we get her out she thinks she has to leave.” Her fingernails dug into her skin, and she tried to take in another breath of air. “Her and Caleb and Nott- I don’t want _any_ of them to go. But especially not Beau.” 

 

Yasha didn’t answer that, humming an acknowledgment but mostly letting the statement sit. Eventually, she nudged her towards a cafe with a sign noting that it proudly stayed open twenty-four hours a day, probably to the benefit of everyone who worked in the hospital. They found a small booth, Jester sinking into the chair and picking up a menu but not reading any of it. 

 

“You- you didn’t hear, Yasha, but I offered to go with her. Maybe that’s stupid, right?” Jester sniffed. “I don’t know what I’m doing.” 

 

“It’s not stupid, I don’t think,” Yasha said. “You love her.” 

 

She nodded, tilting the menu down so she could see Yasha’s face. Her friend had relaxed a little herself since they’d left the hospital, and seeing it made Jester realise just how horrifically tense she had been. Perhaps offering to accompany Jester had been for Yasha as much as her. “I mean, yeah, she’s one of my bestest friends ever.”

 

Yasha’s eyes widened slightly, and she made a surprised ‘Oh’ sound. Jester’s brows furrowed, her tail flicking around anxiously under the table.

 

“Oh?” 

 

“I’m sorry.” Yasha looked away, leaning back in her chair and picking up her own menu, concealing the bottom half of her face. “I think I misinterpreted something.” 

 

Jester’s frown deepened, the corner of her mouth tilting up in an incredulous smile. “What? You can tell me, I won’t be mad.” 

 

“I- uh” Yasha sunk lower behind her menu. “I thought you and Beau were together romantically. That is, uh- what I meant by you loving her.” 

 

Jester stared for a moment. 

 

That moment stretched out into multiple moments. 

 

Then half a minute. 

 

“It was an assumption, you can forget I said anything.” 

 

All at once Jester’s heart felt like it started beating again, and she cleared her throat, dropping her menu to the table and leaning forward. “No, no, it’s okay! I’m not upset- why would you think that?” 

 

Yasha stared out a window, her cheeks flushed from embarrassment. “Just… the way you two act around each other, smiling and laughing. During movies, Beau would always end up sitting next to you, and whenever I see you two you are often holding her hand or leaning on her or… back in Xhorhas people are not usually so affectionate with those besides their partners or children.” 

 

The words echoed through Jester’s ears, and she felt like she was a hundred miles away, listening to Yasha through a phone call. “Really?”

 

Yasha shrugged awkwardly. “It reminded me of Zuala and I sometimes.”

 

“But… I never called her my girlfriend or anything.” Jester nearly tripped over the word ‘girlfriend’ and had to clear her throat to catch herself, finding herself leaning forwards. 

 

“I supposed I assumed it was a culture thing. Also, you two share a bed.” Yasha finally looked at her again, shifting in her seat.

 

“We do, don’t we.” Jester, on the other hand, looked down at the table, mentally running through all the things she and Beau had done together, all the little habits that she’d picked up around her. 

 

Yeah, she hugged her and held her hands a lot, but she did that with Fjord too, didn’t she? They shared a bed, but only because at first it was their only option, and eventually they didn’t mind it so even when they had the opportunity to save money for another one, it just didn’t seem necessary. She loved spending time with Beau and talking to her and teasing her and drawing her but… that was just friendship. Right?

 

“Yasha…” Her voice trailed off, and she looked up. “How do you know you’re in love with Zuala?” 

 

There was a short silence and Yasha glanced away, her hand going to the silver wedding band on her ring finger. “I can’t imagine my life with anyone else. I had to choose between her and everything else I knew… and I realised it was the easiest decision I would ever make.” 

 

Her stomach was filled with butterflies or something equally ticklish, and Jester had entirely forgotten the reason they’d left the hospital to begin with. Yasha’s voice trailed off and she was now watching Jester intently, gentle concern and curiosity in her eyes.

 

“Jester… _are_ you in love with Beau?” 

 

The ‘no, of course not’ didn’t make it past Jester’s lips, and all of a sudden she wasn’t sure she was breathing. “I- I don’t like girls, though. I think.” 

 

“Have you ever considered it before?” 

 

Considered liking girls? 

 

No. She hadn’t. 

 

Jester considered it now, her face dropping to the table again and truly trying to imagine it, replacing the heroes in all her favourite stories with heroines. Imagined hugging her close, running her hands over her skin, kissing her gently and passionately and-

 

Replaced the heroines with Beau. 

 

Her breath caught in her throat. 

 

“Yasha?” Her voice was quiet and high-pitched, and Yasha leaned forward, seeming concerned.

 

“Yes?”

 

“I think I love Beau. Romantically.” 

 

Silence. 

 

Jester looked up to see Yasha still staring at her.

 

Another moment passed, and then her eyes began to well up, a sob slipping past her lips. She heard Yasha say something and begin to move, and Jester buried her face in her hands, curling in on herself, cheeks burning and shoulders trembling.

 

After a few seconds she sensed Yasha slide in next to her in the booth, her legs pushing up against Jester’s and after another second, her hand resting on Jester’s shoulder. 

 

“I’m sorry Jester, I didn’t mean- can I help?” 

 

“This is terrible, Yasha-” Jester choked out, rubbing at her eyes and leaning into Yasha’s side. “What am I going to _do_?” 

 

“I… don’t know,” Yasha said softly, rubbing slow, halting circles into her back. “Do you want a tissue?” 

 

Jester looked up to see a tissue dangling in front of her face, and a worker of the cafe leaving a box on their table with a sympathetic, but not particularly surprised smile. Distantly, Jester wondered how many people she’d seen cry at one of her booths. 

 

She accepted the tissue from Yasha, sniffling and wiping away her tears, her gaze turned downward until she was certain she had a handle on herself again. 

 

“I don’t want to lose her.” She whispered. “I can’t.” 

 

“Then you can go with her.” 

 

“But what about Fjord? Then _he’ll_ be all alone.” Her heart was aching in a hundred different ways.

 

“I don’t know, Jester. I’m sorry, I’m not very helpful with this kind of thing.” Yasha had stopped rubbing circles but was still sitting next to her, one hand resting in her lap and the other now awkwardly looped across Jester’s back, pressed between it and the back of the booth’s seat. 

 

For lack of any kind of solution, eventually the two of them ordered something to eat. Yasha stayed sitting next to her, allowing Jester to lean into her while she picked through a slice of quiche. The contact was comforting, and after a few more minutes she did feel a little better, if still just as hopelessly uncertain about what to do next as she had been before. 

 

She was pretty sure she knew what she wanted to do. But… she didn’t think it was going to be as easy as when _Yasha_ had done it. 

 

“You can’t tell anyone. About… the love thing.” Jester said once she took her final bite, Yasha having finished her food long ago. “Please, Yasha? Don’t tell anyone.” 

 

“I won’t,” Yasha said. “I’m sorry, Jester. I think I might’ve made things worse.” 

 

She shook her head lightly. “No, no, it’s a good thing. Just…not the best timing.” 

 

Chuckles bubbled up into her throat, albeit heavy and not exactly cheerful. She felt a bit lightheaded, just thinking about it. 

 

She _loved_ Beau. Looking back now, it seemed so obvious. She’d never had a best friend besides the Traveller before, and he was so different from Beau and Fjord and the others. So she’d figured Beau and all the emotions and things that came with her were just normal friend stuff. But she’d never sought out Fjord’s touch as much as she did Beau. She didn’t admire Fjord the way she did Beau, even though he was objectively attractive. 

 

Fjord, she loved as a friend, absolutely. Beau was something different. 

 

And right as she’d realised it, Beau was going to have to leave. Why was life so _unfair_ sometimes? 

 

“If there’s anything I can do to help…” Yasha said hesitantly. 

 

“I’m okay.” Jester plastered on a small, reassuring smile as they stood up. “I think I just want to get back to the others.” Back to Beau. 

 

Yasha nodded, giving Jester a light pat on the shoulder before they started heading back to the hospital. Now Jester noticed as they walked in that Yasha tensed a little again — though not as much as she had been before — when they got inside, ducking out of the way of any nurses and doctors bustling about even though she was noticeably larger than most of them. 

 

The police officer was still there when they arrived, looking them over before nodding and reminding them that visiting hours would be ending in less than half an hour. Had it really been that long? 

 

Everyone else was still inside, Caleb looking downright miserable in his chair while Nott hovered close by, pushing him down if he even looked like he was thinking of getting up. Zuala was pacing on one side of the room and biting her nails, and Fjord was brooding in a corner with his arms folded. 

 

Caduceus was standing next to the hospital bed and chatting happily. Beau was lying on her side facing him, curled up under the hospital blanket and appearing mostly-asleep, probably not helped by the naturally soothing tones of Caduceus’ voice. Jester could see her eyelids flickering, but sensed it wouldn’t be long before she was completely asleep. 

 

“How’d it go?” Zuala walked up to them first, slipping her hand into Yasha’s. “I think we’ll have to leave soon.” 

 

“A nurse came by and said only one of us would be allowed to stay overnight if we wanted to.” Fjord sidled up, his voice quiet and tired. “I figured you’d want the option.” 

 

“Oh.” Jester looked over to Beau, who was almost definitely asleep now, curling up even tighter. “Yeah. If… if you’re okay with me staying?” 

 

Fjord gave her a tiny, weary smile. “One of us should. And I’ll need to take the car home before I have to pay a hundred silver in parking.”

 

“Right.” Jester returned the smile, looking down. “Can I talk to you about something? Before you go?” 

 

Yasha and Zuala had already stepped away, either to talk to one of the others or give them some privacy, but Jester kept her voice hushed anyway. Fjord gave her a long look, and she could see the stress lining his features, could only imagine what kind of things _he’d_ been thinking about. But he nodded.

 

“If… Beau leaves Zadash…” 

 

“You said you were going to follow her.” It wasn’t pointed or judgemental, but Jester winced anyway. “You said it rather plainly. Were you serious about it?” 

 

She forced herself to look up at him, but there was nothing in his face that she could read. He didn’t seem angry or upset or betrayed at the thought of it. Rather, his expression was carefully schooled, hiding his feelings until he made a decision one way or the other. 

 

“I think so.” Jester whispered. “I don’t want to let her leave, Fjord.” 

 

“I know. I don’t want to either.” 

 

“But I don’t want to leave you behind.” 

 

“Well… I think that at least is a problem I can fix.” Fjord let his voice trail off, fixing her with an apprehensive look. “If I went with you too.” 

 

Jester stared at him for a moment. “Really?”

 

“I’m the one who said the three of us are stuck together, didn’t I? You two are the best friends I’ve had… in a long time.” One of his hands brushed her shoulder and then he averted his gaze, clearing his throat. “And, I mean, without the two of you around there’s no way I’d make enough money to keep the apartment so really, I’d end up on the streets again either way.” 

 

Jester couldn’t help but smile a little. “Aww, you love us.” 

 

“No, it’s purely practical. Not to mention that if you two disappear it’s only a matter of time before it gets traced back to me. This is an absolutely selfish decision here.” 

 

“Oh _totally,”_ Jester smirked before a sobering thought hit her. “Caduceus or Zuala and Yasha would probably let you stay with them, you know.”

 

“Oh, Caduceus and Zuala spent ten minutes brainstorming hospital escape ideas with Nott before Beau started falling asleep. If they get too involved too… they might have to leave as well.” Fjord said, and Jester’s eyes widened.

 

“Really?” 

 

“Yeah. We don’t really have anything concrete yet, but, well, that’s why it’s just brainstorming. But neither of them seemed keen to stay out of it.” Fjord smiled, tossing a glance in Beau’s direction over his shoulder. “I’ll keep you updated, you keep me updated, okay?” 

 

Jester nodded, and the others all began to gather themselves up to leave. Fjord left the backpack he’d brought with Jester, and all of them gave her a light pat on the shoulder or back or small encouragement as they left. 

 

Then they were gone. 

 

The lights were dim and the curtains were drawn, and all Jester could hear was the steady beeping of machinery, distant walking, and chatter from elsewhere in the hospital, and Beau’s breathing, a little uneven and wheezy even in sleep. 

 

Jester went over to the chair recently vacated by Caleb, picking it up and trying to carry it around to the other side of the bed, the side that Beau was facing. One of her arms was buried underneath the hospital blanket but the other rested just in front of her face, fingers loosely curled inwards but not quite making a fist. Her hair was messy and all over the place, dropping over parts of her face.

 

There were dark shadows under her red-rimmed eyes, and her skin looked wan, not the warm brown that Jester knew so well but something less saturated, like a bit of the colour had been drained out of her. 

 

Jester scooted the chair up as close to the bed as she could get, pulling her legs up into it and letting her tail hang loosely, swaying back and forth. Leaning onto the hospital bed, she rested her head on one of her arms, the other stopping just short of touching Beau’s visible arm.

 

She just looked for a moment, wondering how close the others were to home by now, what they might be talking about. She gently brushed the hair out of Beau’s face, her fingers ghosting along her skin for fear of waking her up. And maybe because Jester wasn’t sure how it would feel to touch Beau again, after what she’d realised. 

 

Beau had done so much to help her. In big ways, like comforting her after the banquet and helping organise a movie night just to make her feel better, and in all the little moments. The soft smiles that she wouldn’t give to anyone else, the teasing pokes in the ribs and the amazement at every painting Jester had shown her, like she’d forgotten how skilled she was and suddenly remembered. When Jester would wake up sometimes early in the morning to find Beau curled around her, a warm, steady presence.

 

There was a buzzing in her pocket, louder than expected compared to the relative quiet of the room. Jester fished out her phone and checked her notifications, finding a message from Caleb.

 

**Caleb: We have come up with some ideas on how to help Beauregard. We think we will be able to get her out of the hospital tomorrow.**

 

She typed back a quick reply, before turning her phone off and putting it away. Tilted her head onto its side, tucking a final few strands of hair behind Beau’s ear, leaving her face clear. Jester let her hand fall back down to the bed, before gingerly hooking her pinkie finger around Beau’s.

 

“We’ll get you out of here, I promise.” She whispered. When Beau didn’t stir, she continued, almost breathless. “I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hah ahaha hahahah ahaha
> 
> im so tired i cant think of anything to say right now but [dab]
> 
> edit: of course it was all my sinister plan, to have the mutual pining truly begin only after this fic was the longest fic tagged with beaujester in the entire fandom mwahahahaha you have all been tricked now the real fun begins


	42. Jester 14

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Jester is not happy with the proposal of Beau (and Caleb and Nott) leaving Zadash to avoid arrest, assassination, or whatever else might be coming for them. She tries to convince Beau to stay, and then spontaneously offers to go with her. Yasha, Zuala and Caduceus arrive, and it is suggested that Jester go with Yasha to get some fresh air and something to eat, to try and lessen some of the tension. Reluctantly agreeing, Jester and Yasha find a cafe open to sit at, and after some quiet conversation Yasha reveals that she actually thought Beau and Jester had been dating for a while. Surprised and then curious, Jester asks for some elaboration, which eventually draws her to the conclusion that actually, dating Beau would be pretty cool actually. After that revelation, she and Yasha head back to Beau's hospital room, where most of the others need to leave bar Jester, who is allowed to stay overnight. Jester, determined not to leave Beau, talks to Fjord about their plan, and he agrees that getting Beau out of the city is their best bet, and that he'd follow them as well. Jester settles in for the night, whispering to an asleep Beau that she loves her.

Jester woke up to the sounds of a nurse walking around her, adjusting machines and drawing back heavy curtains to let sunlight stream in. Beau was still fast asleep, her hand loosely curled into Jester’s. 

 

She sat up without letting go of Beau’s hand, rubbing the sleep from her eyes and stretching out her other limbs, stiff and aching from the awkward position she’d fallen asleep in.

 

“Good morning.” The nurse said politely. 

 

“Good morning.” Jester looked back at Beau, but couldn’t see any change. “Is everything alright?” 

 

“Yes, I’m just checking in.” The nurse smiled at her. “All part of the routine.” 

 

Jester nodded, fishing around in her pocket for her phone to check the time and discovering that she had a _lot_ of unread notifications from the group chat. The others must’ve been very busy while she’d been asleep. Opening up the chat, she could see everyone’s names at least once except Yasha, though Zuala apparently copied her ideas or notes into her own messages. 

 

From what she could tell, they’d worked out a basic plan but hadn’t figured out many details, and the last few messages were discussing whether calling in a bomb threat would make it easier or harder to escape the hospital, so after skimming through the general gist of it, she put her phone away again.

 

The nurse soon left, leaving Jester in the peace of a mostly quiet hospital room. Absentmindedly, she began rubbing circles in the back of Beau’s hand with her thumb, only realising when she began to stir, her fingers closing around Jester’s before loosening again, wearily tugging her hand out of her grip to rub at her eyes.

 

“Nngh- Jes?” Beau didn’t seem surprised to see her there, but she couldn’t quite meet her eye. 

 

“Hey, Beau.” Jester smiled sadly. “Did you sleep okay?”

 

Beau’s eyes dropped to Jester’s hand, which still rested on the hospital bed where it had been. “Uh, yeah. I did.” She paused, before continuing. “Which is weird, you know, considering the… circumstances.” 

 

“You can’t sleep badly while I’m around,” Jester said, a little more brightly, teasingly. 

 

So when Beau responded with a genuine ‘I guess not,’ and the shakiest of smiles, she was taken off-guard. Jester’s breath caught in her throat and she felt her stomach flip, and she was suddenly very aware that she and Beau were alone.

 

But Beau didn’t seem to notice, looking around the room, her shoulders deflating as she woke up. “At least I’m not in handcuffs yet, I guess.”

 

Jester shook her head a little, snapping back to the _bigger_ problems. “You’re not going to be in handcuffs, Beau, we’re going to get you out of here.” 

 

“I don’t want you dragging yourself into trouble for me.” Beau frowned at her, dragging herself into a sitting position and obviously biting back a grimace as she did. “Or any of the others.” 

 

“I think it’s a bit late for that, Beau.” Jester drawled, before speaking a bit more softly. “You’re our friend, we’re going to help you.” 

 

Beau opened her mouth as if to argue even further, and Jester just shook her head, pulling out her phone. “Look, the others have already been planning like, all night, I bet they’re even talking right now to make sure it’s perfect.” 

  
She pulled up the messages of the haphazard plans their friends had come up with overnight, eventually climbing up onto Beau’s hospital bed so that Beau could read the messages herself, and maybe because it just felt more familiar. 

 

“It seems pretty simple, right?” Jester asked. “I mean, you know, once you get past all of Nott’s suggestions.” 

 

“Yeah, I don’t think paint bombs are gonna be necessary.” Beau squinted at the phone. “Or actual bombs.” 

 

“That might make things… worse.” 

 

“Just a little bit.” The corner of Beau’s mouth turned up, and though she didn’t quite lean into Jester’s presence the way she normally would — which Jester only realised now that she wasn’t doing it — she seemed less tense and caught in despair than she had the previous evening. Jester didn’t lean into her for fear of aggravating her injuries, so the two of them sat loosely pressed up against each other and Jester settled for letting her tail settle over where Beau’s legs were beneath the hospital blanket. 

 

“Still, I think it could work. I distract the police guy, Caduceus and Nott get you out to Zuala, and then we leave.” Jester said. It was the plan that most of them seemed to have agreed on, and also the most basic. But maybe simple was better.

 

“What if you get into trouble?” Beau asked. “If someone catches you, or the guard doesn’t fall for it,”

 

“I’m very smart, Beau, I’ll think of something.” Jester winked, poking Beau as lightly in the shoulder as she could. 

 

“I bet you will.” Beau exhaled. “I guess you’re all really doing this.” 

 

Jester hummed an affirmation, tilting her head so her horn bumped into Beau’s temple. They stayed there for a while, Jester eventually looking up other random things on her phone to keep them both occupied through the breakfast that a nurse brought for them, and then until she got a notification from Fjord, saying that some of the others would be heading to them soon. 

 

Sure enough, Caduceus and Nott arrived half an hour or so later.

 

“Did you see our plan?” Nott asked, dressed in her hoodie again and looking restless, her eyes flickering around the room. 

 

“Are we doing it now?” Jester asked, sitting up and swinging her legs over the side of the bed.

 

“Do you still have the clothes for Beau you brought last night?” Caduceus asked. He was carrying a bouquet of flowers that appeared to have been handpicked. “It’ll be easier to get around if you’re not dressed like a patient.” 

 

“But we need to be quick, as soon as we disconnect you from the machines the nurses will be alerted and they’ll come right over,” Nott said. “Luckily, we’ve already scoped out an escape route.”

 

“What were you thinking?” Beau seemed interested, the allure of escape probably temporarily outweighing her apprehension of all of them risking themselves for her. 

 

Nott held up her hands, grinning widely before saying, “Fire escape. I can totally open the door without triggering the alarm, then it’ll be an empty staircase all the way down.”

 

“How far away is the fire escape?” Beau asked. “I don’t know if I can walk far very quickly.” 

 

“It’s a few turns, but I’ll be supporting you.” Caduceus chuckled. “I’m pretty strong, you know.”

 

Jester and Beau both looked at Caduceus’ arms, which looked more akin to sticks than anything Jester would have considered strong. But _he_ seemed confident, and Caduceus usually wasn’t the type to exaggerate his own abilities… it would probably be fine. 

 

“Right…” Beau glanced at Jester, who tried to look as confident as possible. This was going to work, it had to. “Everyone else is back home?”

 

“Zuala’s circling the parking lot ready to pick us up,” Nott said. “Everyone else is packing.” 

 

Packing. To leave. They really were doing this, weren’t they? Jester felt a pang of nerves in her chest, the realisation that she wasn’t going to have a home again after today. 

 

But it was for Beau, so it would be okay. They could find another home. 

 

“Alright, let’s get this moving!” Nott clapped her hands once, bouncing on her toes and darting over to Fjord and Jester’s backpack where they had been left at the foot of the hospital bed. “Jester, try to be like, really loud when you distract the police officer so we know we can start moving.” 

 

Jester nodded firmly, slipping off the bed and taking a deep breath to psych herself up. If she couldn’t do this, the whole plan would fall apart. 

 

She could do it. She would. 

 

“Okay, okay, I’ve got this.” She turned slightly to look at Beau, who still seemed hesitant. “It’ll be great.”

 

“Be careful, yeah?” Beau asked, one of her hands resting on the empty space where Jester had been sitting. 

 

“We’ll text you once we meet up with Zuala so you know when to bolt. If something goes wrong, you can call _me_ and I’ll go smash a window.” Nott said, looking quite eager for the possibility. 

 

Jester flashed her friend a grin, then looked back to Beau. “Yeah! I’ll be okay, Beau. I’ll be _super_ careful, and if something does happen Nott can smash a bunch of windows!” 

 

Beau’s eyes held her gaze for a few moments longer before she let out a light exhale, a weary half-smile on her face. Jester beamed, reaching out and giving Beau’s hand a tight squeeze before letting go, heading towards the door. “Okay, give me like, a few minutes, I’ll have the best distraction ever.”

 

She turned towards the door and took a moment to compose herself before opening, playing up the exhaustion she felt from her uncomfortable sleep, and wiping at her eyes in the hopes of making it look like she’d been crying, like a perfectly normal civilian trying to deal with her best friend getting shot for absolutely no discernible reason. 

 

The police officer, a different one than Jester had seen the previous night, gave her a polite nod as she left, giving her a once-over before seeming satisfied that she was allowed to enter or exit.

 

She turned the corner, then immediately went hunting for the closest bathroom, paying attention to every doctor and nurse-ish looking person she passed along the way. Eventually, she found one, ducking into a stall and turning up her nose at the even more intense smell of chemicals and sterility than there was in the rest of the hospital, making sure the door was locked tight.

 

Stroking circles in the symbol of the Traveller hanging from the bracelet Beau had made her, closing her eyes and imagining one of the nurses she’d seen walk by.

 

“ _Good luck, Jester. I know you’re an excellent actress.”_ The Traveller’s voice whispering in her ear made her smile, and she felt the warmth of magic spread through her entire body. 

 

When she opened her eyes she already saw fair pinkish-white skin instead of blue, clean and plain-looking hospital scrubs instead of her skirt and blouse. After stepping out of the stall and looking in the mirror, she saw dirty blonde hair on a hornless head, held back in a neat, professional bun. Even a badge with the hospital’s logo hung from her pocket, though if someone were to try to touch it their fingers would go through. 

 

Perfect. 

 

Thankfully, there weren’t many people wandering around these particular halls, just a few civilians going to meet family members or friends and some nurses too busy to really pay any notice to her. Jester tried to match their pace as she made her way back to the hallway where Beau’s room was, keeping her face forward and acting like she had somewhere very urgent to be. 

 

When she got a few feet away from the corner, she took a deep breath before breaking into a quick, but not outright sprinting jog, panting like she’d been running for a short while. 

 

She bolted around the corner, skidding a little as she turned and looking around frantically. The police officer jolted a bit when she arrived, and she jabbed a finger in his direction.

 

“You!” She announced, running up. “I need your help! Immediately!” 

 

The officer looked entirely bewildered, standing up straight and glancing around. “What’s going on?” 

 

“You’re strong, right? Police officers are strong?” Jester ignored his question, getting up in his space and picking at his clothes. He jerked back.

 

“Excuse me- what is happening?”

 

“A patient, half-orc, he’s just arrived but he’s fighting back, won’t let anyone close, we need to restrain him to treat him but he’s too strong! We need help!” 

 

“Ma’am, I’m sorry, I can’t leave my post-”

 

“What post?” Jester interrupted him, frowning and taking a step back, trying to look as frustratingly urgent as possible, not giving the officer a second to think. 

 

“I’m guarding a patient, to make sure she doesn’t go anywhere.” 

 

“Patients recovering from _surgery_ are in this ward! She isn’t going to be going anywhere anytime soon! We need assistance _now_ , so come!” She fixed him with a glare before turning on her heels and bolting back down the hallway at her restrained jogging pace, inhaling sharply when she heard footsteps following behind her. 

 

She kept going down the corridors, looking over her shoulder to make sure the officer was still following her. He looked extremely irritated and mildly concerned, glancing over his own shoulder and grumbling to himself.

 

“Where is this patient?” He asked. 

 

“Just follow me!” Jester replied. “There’s no time to waste!” 

 

She pulled him into the first elevator she saw, pressing a button for three floors down. She refused to answer any questions the officer asked her with anything that was possibly useful, staring straight ahead and tapping the ground with her foot impatiently, trying to look in control like all the other nurses she’d seen in the hospital so far, but rushed. 

 

When they got to the floor she began leading him down whatever random corridor she could find, when she suddenly felt a hand grip around her wrist, the officer jerking her to a stop.

 

“What is going on here?” He demanded. “This doesn’t make any sense!” 

 

Jester’s heart was already pounding, and for a moment she couldn’t think of anything. Oh, Traveller help her. 

 

Her eyes darted around, and they fell on a large red box with a glass front embedded in the wall, marked very clearly with ‘Fire Alarm’ and ‘Emergencies Only’. Inside the glass, she saw a lever. 

 

It _would_ cause some chaos. 

 

Without thinking, she summoned the tiny dredges of magic she would sometimes use to open windows without having to get up, instead pushing that energy to flick the lever of the fire alarm up.

 

In an instant, sharp beeps began to sound, and almost immediately Jester heard a scream, probably from some excitable or easily frightened patient or civilian. The police officer jumped, staring at her as if to figure out whether she’d pulled it or not, even though she was standing nowhere near it. 

 

“Oh no! The fire alarm!” Jester shouted, pulling her arm out of the officer’s grip. “Stay calm! Stay calm everyone!” 

 

“I need to go.” The officer scowled, though it was hard to hear over the alarm and the increasing number of shouts and confused orders from those in the corridor. People were poking their heads out of doors, others were running through, most were just wandering around, waiting for something to happen. 

 

But for now, at least, no one knew what alarm had been pulled, so no one would know which one to turn off. 

 

“Where’s another elevator?” The officer demanded, looking around the corridor and grimacing as he probably realised that Jester had led him somewhere with absolutely no regard for direction. 

 

“There’s one that way!” Jester pointed down the corridor. “Two more lefts and you should find it! Now, I’ve got to go!”

 

And without another word, she dashed down the hallway, only looking over her shoulder to see the officer swearing before running off in the direction she’d pointed out. Hopefully, it would take him a long, long time to make his way back up to Beau’s room. 

 

A grin spread across her face, and Jester herself went searching for an elevator herself, going down to the bottom floor and simply walking out the first exit she saw, going along a stream of civilians that were evacuating the hospital. It took her a while to spot Zuala’s car, doing laps around one area in the parking lot, and she ducked behind another car for a moment to drop her disguise, flagging Zuala down when she got close. 

 

“Hi! Hi!” She exclaimed once she jumped into the back, immediately realising that Beau and the others weren’t there. “Oh shit. Where are they?” 

 

Zuala bit her lip, having momentarily stopped the car for a moment to let her in, twisting around in her seat. “I haven’t seen them yet? What happened?”

 

“I had to pull the fire alarm- I figured they would’ve gotten pretty far by then-” Possibilities began swarming in her head and she pulled out her phone, plugging in Nott’s number and putting it on speakerphone.

 

When Nott answered, Jester could hear the fire alarm beeping, tinny through the speaker. “He-llo? HELLO?” 

 

“Nott! Nott, it’s Jester!”

 

“- _shit_ do you need- me to come back in th-ere?” 

 

“No, I’m out!” Jester spoke louder than necessary, pressing her face against the car window. “Where are you?” 

 

“We’re near-ly at the bottom of- fire es-cape stairs!” There was a muffled sound of some kind. “-fuck- there’s peo-ple outside!”

 

Between the two phone conversations, it took them another few minutes to figure out where both groups were in relation to each other, but finally, Jester spotted Caduceus’ pink head poking above cars and people, directing them to where they were. 

 

Nott jumped into the front seat, practically vibrating with nervous energy. Caduceus opened one of the back doors to help Beau clamber in, before following himself, both Jester and Fjord’s backpacks on his back. There was a sheen of sweat on Beau’s forehead and she was grimacing, one hand clutched tight around her stomach, her breath seeming short. 

 

Immediately, Jester pressed her hand over the one Beau had over her stomach, pushing as much healing into it as she could while Zuala was already peeling out of the parking lot, trying to keep ahead of all the people evacuating and meandering around. 

 

Jester’s hand glowed and she felt Beau tense for a moment before relaxing, sagging into the seat and Jester’s side, the three of them pressed fairly close together thanks to Caduceus’ lanky limbs. After a moment Caduceus put a glowing hand on Beau’s shoulder as well, and when they pulled them away, Beau’s skin seemed a little warmer than it had before. 

 

There was silence, and then Beau exhaled, her head falling onto Jester’s shoulder. “Thanks Jessie.” A short pause. “And Cad.” 

 

“Here to help.” Caduceus said cheerfully, brushing some hair out of Beau’s face. 

 

“We can heal you even more tomorrow, okay?” Jester said, snaking her arm around Beau’s back to hold her close, finally feeling like she could breathe again. They were all out of the hospital. The hardest part was over. “We’ll leave right away before they figure out you’re gone.”

 

“Leaving. Everyone’s really leaving?” Beau sounded exhausted, her voice slightly stifled.

 

“Well, I’d be going with Caleb regardless.” Nott was kneeling on her seat facing them, not even bothering with a seatbelt. Actually, Zuala and Caduceus were the only ones wearing them. 

 

“We’re coming,” Zuala said, a shaky smile on her face in the rear-view mirror. “We already helped you escape the police, after all.” 

 

“And I think I’d be rather lonely without you all.” Caduceus finished, shrugging like it wasn’t a particularly big deal. "What did Nott call it on the way here? Ride or die?" 

 

"Yeah!" Nott cheered, while Beau audibly snorted. 

 

“Once we’re on the road, then we’ll get to figure out where we’re going!” Jester said cheerfully. “That’ll be fun.”

 

Beau nodded, gingerly curling her arms around Jester’s waist, her face buried into Jester’s shoulder. “Thank you. For getting me out.” 

 

“Of course, Beau.” Jester held her close but not tight, determined not to let go for the entire trip home. “I’d never leave you behind.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> its not a fic of mine without a heist or jailbreak of some kind i swear to god
> 
> AKA: when i realised i'd decided to write a Hospital Heist i nearly lost my mind 
> 
> anyway these past few weeks have been wiiiiiillldddddd ahhhhhhhhh


	43. Jester 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Jester wakes up in the hospital with Beau, and after a quiet breakfast and morning, they and the others begin executing a hastily constructed plot to smuggle Beau out of the hospital. Caduceus and Nott arrive to help Beau out through a fire escape, while Jester disguises herself as a nurse to distract the police officer stationed outside Beau's door. It works well at first, but when the officer gets suspicious Jester pulls a fire alarm, causing chaos in the entire hospital. Still, they eventually all manage to make it safely out of the hospital to a waiting Zuala, and begin to head back to the Leaky Tap apartments to meet up with the others, who have been packing to leave.

It was a quiet, tense trip back to the Leaky Tap apartments, all of them aware at any moment that Beau’s disappearance could be realised and the police would start trying to track her down. Jester was pretty sure Caleb had tossed all kinds of false information into his reports, but somewhere along the line they’d track them back to their apartments and they all needed to be _gone_ by then. 

 

Jester had her arms wrapped around Beau, who was silent, the side of her face pressed into Jester’s shoulder, eyes closed and breathing slightly hitched, but Jester was fairly certain she hadn’t fallen asleep. She’d never seen Zuala drive so intensely, fingers tapping the steering wheel while Nott frantically texted on her phone. Caduceus was the only one who seemed remotely calm, but ever he was looking out the windows at every turn, glancing behind them as if to check whether they were being pursued. But eventually, they got back. 

 

Caduceus quickly excused himself to go check his apartment, which he had apparently mostly packed up prior to coming help get Beau, but still needed to pack into one of their cars. Nott also vanished in an instant, while Zuala pulled out her phone and called Yasha, staying down with the cars.

 

They’d parked next to Fjord’s car, the boot of which Jester could already see was loaded up with backpacks and boxes of their important documents, and probably all the savings they had in cash hidden away in the apartment. 

 

“C’mon, we can go help Fjord,” Jester said as she and Beau climbed out of the car, Beau with a tight grip around her upper arm but pretending she wasn’t holding on. 

 

It would _probably_ be better if Beau stayed down by the cars where she could rest and wouldn’t have to go far in case they needed a quick exit, but she doubted Beau would be very happy with that. 

 

“Yeah, let’s go.” Beau didn’t quite meet her eyes, able to walk a little easier but still keeping one hand on Jester and the other hovering lightly across her chest, jaw clenched. 

 

It took them a while to get up the stairs, and when they were about halfway up they ran into Yasha, who was descending with a big suitcase in her arms. 

 

“Beau, Jester.” Yasha paused, shifting to the side so that there was plenty of room for them to pass. Her eyes went to Beau’s hand on Jester’s arms, Jester’s hand on the small of Beau’s back, before flickering up to Jester and clearing her throat. “Are you alright?”

 

“I’m fine. Great, even.” Beau said. “Out of the hospital, aren’t I?” 

 

“That is good,” Yasha said, looking at Jester again. “Um, I’ll keep going.” 

 

They didn’t run into anyone else on the way up, but once they got to Floor Nein it was clear that everyone had been busy there for a while. All of the apartments’ doors were wide open, even Apartment D, and when they peered in they could see some of the posters and pictures had been taken down, a selection of random objects retrieved and packed away. 

 

Caduceus was pouring water onto every plant in his apartment with a melancholy smile on his face, multiple duffel bags packed and waiting by his door. In Caleb and Nott’s apartment Jester could see Caleb holding a worn-looking leather bag open with one hand and quite literally sweeping books off bookshelves into the bag with his other hand, far more books than one would logically think possible to fit in such a small bag. Every now and then Nott would dart up with trinkets or random containers to shove into the bag as well.

 

When Jester and Beau walked into their apartment, they saw Fjord pushing things down in his backpack, scowling. 

 

“Hi Fjord!” He turned around at Jester’s voice, visibly relaxing and standing up, leaving his backpack for a moment to come up to them and hug them, albeit gingerly for Beau. 

 

“Thank the gods.” He said, looking carefully at Beau before drawing back. “So it all went smoothly?” 

 

“I pulled a fire alarm,” Jester said.

 

Fjord’s head snapped towards her, and there was a short pause before he spoke again. “I’m going to assume it was necessary?” 

 

At her affirmative nod, Beau snorted sharply, and Jester couldn’t help but grin, seeing her friend with a tiny amused smirk on her face. Fjord rolled his eyes, before continuing.

 

“Well, I’ve packed up most of the essentials, but there’s still stuff in your room to go through. I reckon I’ve got a couple more loads before I’m fully packed up, and hopefully, we can be out in twenty minutes. Sound good?” 

 

Jester nodded, feeling Beau’s hand on her arm tense at the mention of leaving. Beau didn’t nod but didn’t object either, and after a moment Fjord looked at them both again, a conflicted look on his face. 

 

“I’m glad you’re both safe.” He finally said, before going back to packing up the boxes by his couch. 

 

“I can walk by myself from here. Thanks.” Beau murmured, walking down towards their bedroom not quite with a limp, but clearly tense, hunched over slightly. 

 

Jester’s first instinct was to follow, but something kept her feet glued to the floor, and after Beau had disappeared into their bedroom, she found herself walking up to Fjord.

 

“Are you okay?” She asked, and Fjord looked up at her, almost surprised.

 

“Me?” He looked down towards the hallway where Beau had gone, before looking back at her. “I’m not the one who’d be not okay here.”

 

Jester shifted uncomfortably on her feet, hugging her arms to her chest. “Yeah… but, you cared so much about this. Getting an apartment, a job, figuring out your magic, all of that stuff. We’re leaving now.” 

 

There was a long pause, and Fjord stopped packing his box, dropping his gaze and furrowing his brow. “It’s… one step at a time. Beau’s alright, we’ll all be safe, that’s enough for now.”

 

He exhaled, closing the boxes and picking them up, not meeting her eye as he walked out of the apartment, hurried steps echoing down the hallway. Jester didn’t turn to watch him go, instead walking down to their bedroom to see what was left. 

 

Looking inside, it was clear that Fjord had packed some of their things, but not all of them. Their pillows and blankets were gone from their bed, along with some of Jester’s painting supplies (and Jester was touched that Fjord had thought to take some of them at all, considering they weren’t exactly essentials) and a good chunk of their clothes, likely a few outfits each in case they’d had to make a _really_ quick escape. 

 

Beau was crouched in front of their closet, her massive backpack gone, and most of her belongings gone as well, leaving her to gather the few things that remained. 

 

Jester knelt down next to her, slipping Fjord’s backpack that they had taken to the hospital off her back and resting it next to Beau. “I don’t think he’ll mind if you use this.” She said.

 

Beau was staring down at a worn book with a bound dark blue cover and no title, one that Jester had seen a few times, but had always been kept either buried in the depths of Beau’s backpack or, after she had finally unpacked it, somewhere in the closet, apparently somewhere innocuous enough that Fjord had missed it when he’d packed up most of the girls’ things. 

 

“Thanks, Jester.” Beau shot her a weak smile, tucking the book (a journal, perhaps?) into the backpack before picking up everything else of hers that remained as well. It took Jester a little longer to collect all of her things, having accumulated significantly more trinkets and clothes than Beau had over their time here.

 

She was also faced with the unfortunate decisions of which of her paintings and remaining supplies to take, aware that some of the canvases would be far too big considering that they were going to have to fit eight people and almost all of their belongings into two cars and a motorcycle. 

 

There should have been urgency in it, but in their bedroom, neither of them talking, any noise of the others just far enough away to be distant and muffled and easy to unintentionally tune, it felt… peaceful. Like the minutes between one great thunderstorm and another, or a rest break in the middle of a marathon. They knew that soon the time would pass and then the rain would start again, or they’d have to keep running, but for however long they stayed in their room, it didn’t seem so close. They had time. 

 

“I’m sorry, Jester.” She looked over her shoulder to see Beau standing by the window, her burner phone from the Gentleman in her hand. “It’s funny, if I hadn’t been a curious idiot and joined a gang in our first week or so of being here, we wouldn’t be doing this. So much… so much could have been avoided.” 

 

She didn’t sound like she found it very funny, and Jester fiddled with her fingers, looking at Beau’s downcast eyes, though wearing her jacket that had been brought for her, there was no sign of any of her injuries. “You’re all running because of my stupid decisions.”

 

“Beau,” Jester bit her lip, but she had a feeling that this sentiment was going to be repeated quite a few times before it really sunk in. “I- _we_ love you. We couldn’t let you just be arrested or killed.” 

 

“You _could,_ it would have been a lot easier. Safer. Better.”

 

“If Fjord had been shot, would you have left him? Or Caleb or Yasha or anyone,” Jester asked, hesitating a little before continuing. “If _I_ had been shot, would you have left me?” 

 

A delicate tension descended upon them, and after a few seconds, Beau minutely shook her head. Jester’s heart cracked, her stomach already a confusing maelstrom of emotions and questions. 

 

“You’re worth it, Beau. If you’d do something for us, we’d do the same for you. I would _never_ leave you behind.” 

 

Beau closed her eyes, and Jester could see tears gathered at the corner, narrowly held back from falling. She walked up, seeing Beau’s hackles rise and the tension in her body growing sharper, and rather than hug her again, simply reached out for her hand, letting her fingers curl loosely around Beau’s. 

 

Beau’s eyes opened again and she typed something into her burner phone, before sliding the window open, grimacing as she wound up her other arm and fully tossing it out. 

 

“What did you do that for?” 

 

“I don’t want the Gentleman to be able to know where I am.” Beau shrugged, her fingers interlocking with Jester’s. “I told him Onezza tried to kill me, I didn’t tell the police anything, and I’m leaving. He can do whatever the fuck he wants with that information.” 

 

“Do you need to do anything else?” Jester asked, and Beau shook her head. 

 

“In that case… which do you think would be prettier to hang in the next apartment we find, my painting of flowers or the one of the sunrise?” Her voice was low and a little somber considering the question, but it drew a smile from Beau, and she truly seemed to consider it. 

 

“The sunrise. I always liked that one.” 

 

“I was hoping you’d say that.” Jester returned the smile, squeezing Beau’s hand before collecting her backpack and the handful of paintings that she hoped were small enough to fit into the car that she couldn’t bear to leave behind. Hopefully, whoever found the ones that remained would enjoy them. 

 

She picked up Beau’s backpack (well, Fjord’s, but Beau was using it) as well and when Beau protested, handed her some of her paintings to carry so she didn’t feel like she was being totally coddled. When they got to the door of the apartment, Fjord was just coming up the stairs, his set of keys in his hands. 

 

“You two ready? The others are all downstairs.” They both nodded, and Jester gave Fjord a quick side-hug as he stepped up, still holding Beau’s hand.

 

“We’ll find another apartment, won’t we?” Jester said. “An even better one.”

 

Fjord locked the door with a click, and Jester thought back to the day they’d first arrived, first walked in. It had been so exciting, so new. A place all her own, to share with her friends. They’d be able to experience that again, so that was something to look forward to, wasn’t it? 

 

“Maybe one with two bedrooms this time.” Fjord said, twirling the keys on his fingers for a moment before pocketing them, offering to take one of the backpacks or the paintings Beau was holding. Beau refused to hand off the paintings, so he ended up with one of the backpacks. 

 

“Maybe a bigger bathroom?” Beau quietly asked, just after they’d started walking down the stairs. 

 

Jester grinned. “Yeah! And a bigger bedroom so you and I can fit a bed big enough for us to stretch.” 

 

“If we’re really lucky there’ll be heating.” Fjord sighed.

 

“Don’t get _too_ crazy there, Fjord.” Beau joked, and by the time they got to the bottom floor, even if Beau was a little winded, all of them were smiling and imagining a life even better than what they’d managed to carve in Zadash. 

 

Everyone else was packed and ready to go, checking up on news bulletins updating the city on the false fire alarm at the hospital, to see if there was any sign of the police coming to find them. With everyone arrived, they didn’t waste any more time, splitting up into cars (Jester, Caduceus and Beau going with Fjord, Caleb and Nott going with Zuala, and Yasha riding in between them on her motorbike) and hightailing it out of there.

 

Jester turned around in her seat to watch the streets of Zadash one final time. She’d expected their final escape to be something dramatic, tense, maybe with a couple car chases as police sirens wailed in the background. 

 

Instead, the roads were calm. Fjord would tap his fingers on the steering wheel whenever they got caught in a red light, Beau tried to give Caduceus instructions on where to find the aux cord from the back seat, and there was a brief moment where they thought they’d lost Yasha, resulting in a couple of minutes of frantic phone calls between the other car to figure out where she was, but besides that, it was almost… normal. 

 

As they got closer to the city limits with no helicopters swarming overhead, Jester just felt nostalgic. 

 

Zadash had been incredible, for the most part. So many amazing things had happened to her, so many beautiful people she’d met, so much growing up she’d done. She was going to miss it.

 

Then she turned back around in her seat to see the roads that stretched on ahead of them as they went through the suburbs, leaving the walls of Zadash in the rearview mirror and finally, they were out. 

 

Beau exhaled lightly as they passed a sign saying ‘Goodbye from Zadash!’ in faded letters, sinking back into her seat and leaning on Jester. 

 

Jester wriggling her arms beneath Beau’s armpits as delicately as she could, her chin resting on the top of Beau’s head, both of them leaning on a pile of backpacks and pillows they’d stuffed into the backseat. 

 

“So where will we be heading?” Caduceus asked a few minutes after they’d left the city in the dust. “I don’t think we ever fully worked it out last night.” 

 

“That’s uh, something we still need to figure out.” Fjord shrugged in response, keeping an eye on Yasha riding in front of them. 

 

“We’ll be okay, no matter where we go.” Jester declared, closing her eyes and breathing in the faint scent of shampoo in Beau’s hair. She still smelled a bit like the hospital, but underneath that, she smelled like the forest and old books, and it was one of Jester’s favourite scents in the world. 

 

There was a short pause before Fjord spoke again. “That’s really nice, Jester, but we _do_ need to decide on somewhere to go.” 

  
Jester huffed, sinking deeper into her pile of belongings with Beau on her chest. “We can decide that _after_ a nap. And breakfast.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> well they're out of zadash!!! i wonder where they could go next (: (: (:  
> but yeah i'd say we're now a solid two thirds of the way through everything i've got planned. Starting to gear up for the final stretch gang!!!!


	44. Beau 19

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Previously: Having successfully escaped the hospital, Jester, Beau and the others race back to the Leaky Tap apartments in order to pack everything up and bounce before the cops realise they're gone or connected to them being gone. When it's just the two of them, Beau apologises to Jester for having gotten them all in this mess, and insinuating it would have been better if they'd just left her to her fate, which Jester dismisses, asking Beau if she'd leave any of them behind. She wouldn't. Beau throws away her burner phone from the Gentleman and after packing up they head downstairs, managing to make it out of Zadash with no further problems.

“There’s got to be _somewhere_ we can go where at least one of us doesn’t have a criminal record or is a refugee from,” Fjord said, the eight of them poring over a map, crowded on a table with fast food spread out between them. 

 

“Dude, I’m pretty sure that eliminates the entire continent,” Beau said, pointing at the map. “Empire, gone, Xhorhas, gone, Nicodranas, gone.” 

 

“What about Port Damali? Or Port Zoon?” Zuala suggested.

 

“We’d have to go through Nicodranas to get to those.” Caleb pointed out. “Unless we take a very complicated route through the mountains, which… I don’t think our cars would survive.” 

 

“Plus the Clovis Concord means anyone who’s a criminal in part of the Menagerie Coast is basically a criminal in all of it.” Beau pointed out. 

 

“Crossing the border will be risky either way, is there anywhere inside the Empire we can go?” Nott asked.

 

“Rexxuntrum? It’s even bigger than Zadash.” Yasha suggested.

 

“Definitely not,” Nott said, while Caleb shook his head insistently. 

 

They went through almost every major city and town in the Empire they could find on the map, and all of them were eliminated for some reason or another. Beau cringed at the number of them that she was responsible for crossing off the list, but Caleb and Nott weren’t slouches either, and Caduceus personally scribbled out an entire swath of the continent to the north, with only a vague explanation that made absolutely nothing clear. 

 

Yasha and Zuala said that parts of Xhorhas could be a possibility but their legal refugee status could make things very complicated to go back, and Fjord wanted to avoid Port Damali if he could but admitted that there was nothing extreme stopping them, except for the fact that they’d need to go through Nicodranas. 

 

“Let’s just go to Tal’Dorei, why the fuck not.” Nott scowled, slouching back on her chair and stuffing a handful of chips in her mouth.

 

“Except the only way to get to Tal’Dorei by car _still_ means we have to go through Nicodranas.” Jester was biting her lip and frowning.

 

“And airports are a no-go because we definitely won’t be able to bluff our way past their security,” Beau said. “Plus we’d have to leave behind the cars.”

 

Gods, this was a mess. There had to be _somewhere_. 

 

“What about a ferry?” Zuala asked.

 

“One person recognises us, we’re stuck on a boat bound to get arrested as soon as we dock.” Fjord sighed, running a hand through his hair. 

 

“What’s the worst thing about going through Nicodranas again?” Yasha asked. “It’s just Jester who is a criminal there, right?”

 

“Well, I was never officially _charged_ with anything.” Jester steepled her fingers, pursing her lips. “And my Mama has said that it’s been a while since people visited home looking for me.” 

 

“You think they gave up?” Caleb raised an eyebrow.

 

“I think they think I left the country. Which I did.” Jester shrugged. 

 

“Would they expect you to come back?” Caleb continued, and now Jester narrowed her eyes.

 

“I… don’t know.” She thought for a moment before her face lit up. “Do you think they might not be looking out for me any more? Do you think it’s been long enough that I could go back?” 

 

Beau thought about everything Jester had told her about her situation regarding her exile from Nicodranas, and found herself nodding along. “You were never charged for anything, there’s no official warrant out for your arrest, it’d only be random people looking to get Sharp’s money, and if there’s been no sight of you in the city for a year, they’d have moved on by now.”

 

“Can we be sure of that?” Zuala asked, and Beau shrugged. She could never be completely sure, not with things like this. But she was willing to bet it was pretty likely. 

 

“If we’re only passing through, even if we stayed the night, we would probably be alright,” Caleb said. “In and out, they would not know we were there.” 

 

Beau was still nodding, but caught a quick glance at Jester, noticing her shoulders deflate a little at Caleb’s last comment.  

 

“It sounds like our best bet.” She said, before feeling a pang of discomfort at saying something so final. “I mean, if you guys think so.” 

 

“No, I agree.” Fjord mused. “We’d just have to figure out how to get past the border, but that’s still a day away. Any objections?” He looked around, conveniently catching everyone else’s attention, and when no objections were raised, he nodded, beginning to fold up the maps. “Alright, let’s finish up, hit the ATMs, then get moving.” 

 

Beau dug into what was left of her breakfast (hospital food was absolute _mush_ ), everyone else stuffing their faces or chatting or keeping an eye on the old TV in the corner of the service station, just in case wanted pictures of them showed up the screen. They hadn’t. Yet. 

 

Once they got back into the cars, things were weird. For the most part, everyone seemed mostly unbothered. The really hard stuff was over, so they were all still running off the adrenaline of that success. After a day or two passed and the reality of what they’d done kicked in, Beau couldn’t help but wonder if any of them would regret it. 

 

“Fjord! Fjord, can we play some music?” If Jester’s peppiness was any indication, they wouldn’t. 

 

“You know the rules.”  Fjord said bluntly, and Jester booed.

 

“Rules?” Caduceus was still sitting in the front seat so that he’d have the legroom and looked over his shoulder at Jester and Beau. 

 

“Fjord has _rules_ to play music.” Jester grinned, already pulling out his phone.

 

“I refuse to drive and listen to trash at the same time.” Fjord said. 

 

“You’re a dictator and you know it!” Beau teased, before tilting her head towards Caduceus. “ _I’m_ banned from using the aux cord because apparently I can’t be trusted with it.” 

 

“I see.” Caduceus nodded as if this all made sense. “What exactly are the rules?”

 

“No stupidly raunchy songs.” Fjord sighed. “That’s the only rule.” 

 

“You know like sixty percent of Jester’s songs are about sex, right?” Beau piped up. “I played _one-_ ”

 

“You _know_ what you played. Jester’s songs at least have a fun beat and are filled with metaphors so I can pretend they’re not about sex.” 

 

“Nah, you just play favourites.” Beau grinned while Jester giggled into her hands. “C’mon dude, you banned me like a week ago, let me play some songs.”

 

Fjord gave a long, exasperated sigh, and Beau knew she had won. “Fine, fine. Jester and Caduceus can have a turn and you can spend that time coming up with a playlist that won’t make me kick you out of the car.” 

 

If Beau had been drinking water, she would have undoubtedly spat it out, and as it was, her sputtering actually made her injuries hurt. “Kick me out?”

 

“You can go sit in Zuala’s car and think about your actions.” 

 

“Oh my gods, you’re such a buzzkill, but fiiiiine.” Beau shared a wicked smile with Jester regardless, digging out her phone and rummaging through for the songs that she knew would piss Fjord off the most. 

 

Caduceus got the aux cord first, and after a solid half an hour of rainforest sounds — not even one of those hour long rainforest sounds thing, the exact same three-minute soundbyte played on loop — Jester swooped in to save their sanity and take over.

 

After another half hour or so of pop songs and increasingly thinly-veiled metaphors that Fjord pointedly ignored in favour of the catchy choruses, Beau was finally given control of the aux cord.

 

Two minutes later they were all pulled over to the side of the road so Beau could make her triumphant exit/walk of shame to Zuala’s car. 

 

No regrets. 

 

Okay, she had one regret, and that was that Jester stayed in Fjord’s car, promising to play even more pop songs in her memory, which Beau did appreciate. 

 

On the other hand, there was a lot more room in the back of Zuala’s car, mostly thanks to all of Caleb and Nott’s belongings being able to fit inside one small bag tossed in the backseat. Caleb had swapped with Beau after she’d been exiled, and Nott had followed along with him, so that meant she had the entire back seat to herself, and Zuala was great so Beau didn’t quite mind that. 

 

Zuala just seemed amused when Beau told her a brief summary of what had happened and offered to let Beau play her music, but she declined. It wasn’t as fun without Fjord. 

 

As it turned out, Zuala listened almost exclusively to heavy metal, which was honestly a lot more interesting regardless.

 

“Do you like songs from _any_ other genre?” She asked in the few moments of quiet between one song and the next. 

 

Zuala turned down the volume, glancing into the rear-view mirror to briefly look at where Beau was lying down on the back seat, one of Yasha and Zuala’s cats (a solid black one that was named either Shadow or Second if she remembered correctly) sprawled on her stomach, the only one not in a cat crate because apparently she didn’t do anything but nap at all times. 

 

“I have a classical playlist for Yasha?” Zuala smiled goofily. “She really likes the harp.” 

 

“Fascinating.” Beau fell quiet again, listening to the music and absentmindedly stroking the cars fur. 

 

“How are you feeling? I hope Second sitting on you doesn’t hurt, she’s so lazy.” Zuala continued, and Beau hummed for a moment, since apparently they were having a conversation now. But she was feeling surprisingly relaxed, the teasing and bickering with Fjord feeling like old times. Old times being prior to yesterday. 

 

“Nah, it’s nice,” Beau said. “Jester and Cad healed me up a bit, a few more days and I’ll be good as new.” 

 

“That’s good to hear,” Zuala said brightly. “We were all really worried.” 

 

Beau mumbled an acknowledgement, shuffling down into the seats even further, trying to ignore the pressure on her stomach wound from Second’s weight. It wasn’t _painless_ , but it was manageable, so it was fine. 

  
“I’m sorry again, that you… had to leave your apartment and everything.” She said lamely. As if an apology from her could really fix it. It felt like she’d apologised to her friends a lot recently. 

 

Zuala shook her head lightly. “An apartment is an apartment. As long as I’ve got the people I love, I don’t mind where I am.” 

 

Beau didn’t have anything to say to that, because to try and convince Zuala that really she _should_ be angry at Beau for causing this whole mess seemed just a bit weird. 

 

“Speaking of people we love…” Zuala continued talking in a light tone of voice that instantly reminded Beau of Jester, that is, Jester at her most mischievous and teasing. She was _instantly_ on high alert. “Jester stayed the whole night at the hospital, didn’t she?”

 

“Yes…” Beau said slowly, realising the volume on Zuala’s music had been brought even lower. 

 

“ _So_ , you like her, don’t you?” 

 

Beau stiffened, her mouth dropping open, then snapping shut, eyes narrowing and widening and all around she was acting a bit like a fish that had been thrown onto land. 

 

“I- pft- you don’t- _what have you heard?_ ” 

 

Zuala snickered, and if she hadn’t been certain before, she definitely was now. Fuck. “I haven’t heard anything. I just have eyes.”

 

“I-” Beau was already off-kilter, and now she’d been fully shoved off the balance beam. She swallowed, and after a few moments, Zuala started talking again, a little softer.

 

“I’m sorry, is it a sore subject? You don’t have to talk about it, I won’t say anything-”

 

“You’re fine.” Beau breathed, hesitantly pulling herself up into a sitting position and settling Second in her lap. This felt like a sitting kind of conversation. Zuala had always been nice, she wouldn’t make fun of her or anything. Probably. She cast her gaze downwards. “You’re fine.”

 

“Okay, we can leave it. I promise I won’t mention it to anyone.” Zuala said quickly, her hands moving to the volume dial, and Beau could see her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. 

 

“No- wait-” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them, before she could think them through. “How… how did you know? Am I really that obvious?” 

 

“No. Well, to me you are, but I’ve always had a talent for guessing these things. I’m pretty sure most of the others are oblivious or put everything down to Jester’s natural charm.” 

 

Beau chuckled. “Yeah, that would make sense.” 

 

“Yeah. But I’ve been young and in love with my best friend before. So… I see it.” Zuala shrugged lightly, and with her eyes on the road Beau couldn’t see her facial expression, and maybe it was better that way. Zuala couldn’t see _her_ facial expression very well either, and Beau was not in enough control to be certain she was adequately covering up all the emotions that were swirling inside of her. 

 

“You mean Yasha, right?” Beau kept her eyes very firmly on Second, who had happily settled into her new position and fallen right back to sleep. 

 

“Yeah. I waited a good six months after realising I loved her to tell her.” Zuala chuckled again, her tone fond. “Though not for lack of trying, she was pretty oblivious back in the day.” 

 

Beau could see that, and a part of her wondered if getting Zuala to reminisce about herself and Yasha would be an excellent way to get her to forget the rest of this conversation. But before she could try and push, Zuala spoke again. 

 

“I guess I just wanted to say I think you should go for it. We’re on the move, it’s a new beginning, it could be an opportunity.” She shrugged. 

 

Tense and on edge, Beau could not have sounded more flustered if she tried. “You want me to _confess?”_

 

“Sure! Why not?” 

 

Beau had to stifle her incredulous laughter. “Oh, that’s a good joke. Yeah, I’ll tell Jester I-” She hesitated, her tongue tying itself in knots at the mere _thought_ of voicing it aloud in front of another person. “- I love her. Right after I nearly died and forced everyone to evacuate the city. Perfect timing.”

 

“Hey, sometimes the best time for emotional confessions is during a tumultuous time. It’s worked for me.” The more Zuala spoke, the more curious Beau was about her entire life, but once again, she moved on before she could try and dig deeper. “But okay, you can always wait til everything’s settled down again.”

 

“Or I can wait _forever,_ ” Beau rolled her eyes, casting her gaze down towards Second. 

 

“Forever?”

 

“Yeah. It’s never gonna happen, so why would I fuck up what I already have?” 

 

There was a short silence, and in the rearview mirror, Beau could see Zuala’s brow furrowed, a look of careful thought on her face. 

 

“What makes you so sure it’s never going to happen?” She asked. 

 

“Well, Jester doesn’t like girls, so that’s the big one right off the bat.” Beau counted on her fingers, holding her hand up. “Secondly, I’m not the kind of girl she’d go for. Or deserves.”

 

“How do you know?” Zuala’s tone was even and curious, and Beau knew because she was carefully analysing any syllable for signs of judgement, of condescension, of _anything_. But no, Zuala sounded perfectly benign. Empathetic. Like she understood, like she’d gone through this checklist before.

 

Part of it was reassuring, part of it just made Beau more incensed. So she doubled down. “Because Jester loves _romance_. She loves princes, and dashing heroes, people who are strong and brave and charming. She wants a dude that will play a boombox under her window to ask her out on a date, or have cheesy but heartfelt pickup lines, or big gestures to show how much he cares.”

 

“And you’re not any of those things?” 

 

Beau scoffed. “I’m a walking disaster.” She gestured vaguely around the car but was pretty sure Zuala got the message. “Jester deserves someone who helps her shine, and all I do is…” She sighed, sinking down in her seat, her voice low. “All I can do is try to catch some of the reflecting light.” 

 

“You think she’d never like you that much?” 

 

Beau grumbled an answer, her heart already wringing itself to pieces and finding it was quickly running dry. 

 

“She likes you enough to be your best friend, though.” Here Zuala’s voice became a little pointed. The ‘duh’ was implied. 

 

A best friend was different to a _girlfriend,_  Beau wanted to say. Jester being a wonderful enough person to consider Beau her best friend didn’t mean anything else. It was all a reflection on Jester’s general goodness. Not Beau’s own worthiness.

 

She wanted to say that, but she knew Jester would hate to hear it. Fjord probably would too, actually. And she wasn’t feeling _that_ self-loathing right at that second to subject Zuala to it either. 

 

So instead she stayed silent, let Zuala feel like she’d made her point. Let the idea settle to somewhere in the back of her brain, swirling around and not quite disappearing. Maybe something to consider at a later date. 

 

“And about the first thing, has Jester said she’s straight?” 

 

“What?” Beau was slightly surprised the conversation was still going. “What do you mean?”

 

“You said Jester doesn’t like girls, has she told you that?” Zuala pressed, her voice light again. 

 

“I- she’s never explicitly _said_ it, but it’s pretty obvious. You’ve seen her gush about the dudes in movies, right?” 

 

“I’ve also seen her gush about how beautiful the women are in those movies too. With far more variety in her compliments, I might add.” Beau could hear the smirk in Zuala’s voice, and she frowned.

 

“No, that’s just Jester. That doesn’t mean…”

 

“Not definitively. But if she’s never said she’s straight, how can you be sure?” 

 

“I can’t just _ask_ her something like that!” Beau exclaimed, but now the possibility was there, impossible to catch and stuff away. “I can’t just-”

 

She buried her face in her hands, and near-silence fell upon them. At some point, she realised, Zuala had stopped her music completely. 

 

So when Beau spoke again, even though it was quiet, it felt like it echoed. “I can’t risk it.”

 

She heard Zuala’s long, careful exhale. “I know how it feels, Beau. I… I don’t want you to think I’m telling you what to do. I won’t tell anyone about any of this, that’s a promise. But I know how it feels to have feelings like this. I hoped it would go away, and it didn’t. And when it doesn’t, it’s got to come out eventually, one way or another.”

 

Beau’s situation was different. It was, because it had to be. Sure, she’d known about her feelings for months, but they’d go away eventually. Jester would never have to know, and everything would be fine. 

 

“The uncertainty is the worst of it, Beau. At least if you say something, you’ll know. Even if it’s a no, you can move on.” 

 

Beau’s shoulders were stiff, and her cheeks were hot, her mind spinning with the possibilities. The maybe’s. The what if’s. The things that she tried so desperately to ignore, the things that kept her up at night.

 

Zuala and Yasha were different. What worked for Zuala… it wouldn’t work for her. 

 

“I think I’d like to play some of my music actually.” She finally said, her voice flat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> feel free to imagine for yourself what song beau played to get kicked out of fjord's car skdfjgshkdjfgsfd
> 
> anyway 
> 
> [dab]

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome To My Life For The Past Few Months
> 
> If You Want To Yell At Me More Directly, hit me up on tumblr at idonthaveanyurlideas


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